The Legend of Harry: Legacy of the Realms
by NooShoak
Summary: After the events of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Harry is left thinking about the strange events for this years at Hogwarts so far. An encounter in the park set him on a new path... the path to take up the mantle of an ancient Legend. Featuring a flawed-but-decent Dumbledore, and aspects of many world coming together to show Harry what he truly can do.
1. Chapter 1: A New Beginning

**A/N:** Well, this is an idea that struck me. It goes of the now classic Fanfic idea: What if the 'Power he knows not' is a power not native to the Wizarding World? In this case, Harry has inherited a power without any particularly defined upper limit. I know I propbably should be working on other projects, but this is where my mind took me. I hope you enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

The Legend of Harry: Legacy of the Realms

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Little Whinging, Surrey, UK

July 31, 1995

Harry Potter was many things: 15 year old wizard, orphan whose relatives treated worse than a house elf, champion of the Tri (or should that be quad?)-Wizard Tournament. One thing Harry most certainly wasn't was an average teenager. Each of his years at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he'd found himself in mortal danger. First year, he'd confronted the wraith of Voldemort, his parent's killer, who had been possessing a teacher.

Second year, Lucius Malfoy had managed to get a diary containing a fragment of Voldemort's (Aka Tom Marvolo Riddle's) soul into the school, where it possessed a student and made her unleash an ancient basilisk upon the school. An odd memory flitted across his mind, remembering how the basilisk had hesitated.

* * *

Within the Chamber of Secrets

 _"_ _Destroy him, my servant!" hissed Tom._

 _"_ _Master, I smell something on him," hissed the basilisk, "this one smells of ancient power, like the great kings of the sky… to make this young one your foe is unwise"._

 _"_ _Do it, or I shall unleash you upon the village!" hissed Tom._

 _The basilisk looked pained, and then moved towards Harry, albeit not willingly._

* * *

Harry still wasn't quite sure what to think of this interaction. In any case, his third year was strangely his least directly dangerous, despite the supposed mass murderer after him. Of course, it was still plenty hazardous to his health, what with the dementors having a bizarre attraction to him. After discovering the actual murderer, escaping a werewolf who forgot to take his medicine, and trace amounts of time travel, he made it through.

Then there were the events of his most recent term at Hogwarts, his fourth year. Entered into a tournament designed for 7th years and forced to compete against his will, Harry was really beginning to doubt that Hogwarts was actually the 'Safest Place in the World'… then again it might just be his luck. Again his memories came to the forefront, as he remembered odd occurrences during some of the tasks.

* * *

First Task

 _Harry watched as Cedric, Victor, and Fleur each faced off against one of the four dragons. He'd be facing off against a Hungarian Horntail, one of the most dangerous species of dragon in the world. Finally Harry's turn came up. He stepped out into the arena, the very large and angry nesting mother dragon stood before him. It snarled, and began to inhaling to unleash her fiery breath. However, she suddenly paused, looked at him quizzically, and then her eye went wide._

 _"_ _By the Ancestors!" roared the dragon, "This hatchling is the one! The legends are true!"_

 _Harry stumbled back, not sure what to make of this declaration spoken in Parseltongue. After a moment the dragon calmed down, and fixed her gaze upon him once more._

 _"_ _I can sense the wizard's binding magic upon you, young one," said the dragon, "you have been coerced into this foolish contest of theirs. Take the false egg from my nest, I will not obstruct you as long as my clutch is left alone"._

 _Harry cautiously made his way over to the nest, and retrieved to golden egg, and then backed off, still feeling tense being so close to a living mountain of teeth, scales, and claws. As he headed back into the tent, he heard the dragon speak one more._

 _"_ _Guard yourself well young one," said the dragon, "the road ahead of you is not an easy one. May the Ancestors watch over you"._

* * *

This unusual encounter led to many questions, people wondered what spells he used to calm the dragon, calling him a 'dark' wizard for managing to survive the task without a scratch. Ron was still angry at him for not feeding his ego properly. Since that day, Harry had felt some power within him slowly growing, changing into some new form. The next point of interest was during the 3rd task. Harry mind kept going back to that graveyard, where the portkey had been hexed to take whoever grabbed it to a different destination. Harry remembered seeing Cedric take the Killing Curse, and watched as Pettigrew performed the ritual the revive Voldemort. Harry of course couldn't forget the moment as he dueled Voldemort, and the power of their wands came in contact, causing the spirits of the past to come forth.

* * *

The Graveyard

 _As the spells fired from their wands their magic clashed in midair, separating Harry and Voldemort from the Death Eaters with a dome of golden light. As Harry focused of pumping more magic forwards to try and break through his opponent's spell, spectral images appeared around them. He recognized many from seeing them in the Mirror of Erised. However, Harry saw out of the corner of his eye the form of a dragon, one very different from those he'd encountered before._

 _"_ _You can do this young one," said the dragon, "you have the power… our power within you. Look deep into the heart of your magic, and you will find what I speak of. If you choose to embrace you ancient heritage, unleash this spark of power. You must be prepared though, once you take this step, there's no going back. Make your choice, young one"._

 _Harry closed his eye in concentration, feeling his way to the deepest part of his magical core. There, he found it. An oblong piece of amethyst-colored crystal, shaped like an egg. Harry made his choice, and took hold of the crystal. He felt a burst of power run through every fiber of his being, and found himself still on the battlefield against Voldemort. As Harry watched, the magic emitting from his wand shifted in color, becoming purple. Slowly at first, and then rapidly, the beam of purple magic overtook Voldemort's spell, and he was sent flying backwards._

 _Harry didn't squander the opportunity. He quickly turned away from the battlefield, grabbed Cedric and the trophy, and they were taken back to Hogwarts._

* * *

Harry was still trying to piece together the meaning of all these events. He'd looked into the book he had available as to what kind of dragon he'd seen in that moment, but had come up empty. As well, he still felt terrible about Cedric's death. If he hadn't been so interested in fair play to let Cedric grab the trophy at the same time as him…

Another part of Harry's mind knew that it wasn't really his fault, there's no way he could have know… then again with everything that's happened, he _should_ have expected something terrible like this to happen. Harry was also troubled by the fact that his friends hadn't been writing to him. He knew that he wouldn't dwell on his less pleasant thoughts as much if he had someone else to talk to. He'd also noticed the occasional unusual person around the Dursley's house (He never thought of it as home, and never would). Some of them he recognized. He was certain he'd spotted Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody a few times, but none of these members of the wizarding world ever spoke to him.

Harry decided that maybe a walk would help settle his mind. He slipped out of the house, not seeing any of his watchers at the moment, and headed down to the park. It was a typical summer day, with not a cloud in the sky. He soon arrived at his destination, and sat down on a park bench. Shortly thereafter, Harry noticed he wasn't alone. A blond-haired girl was approaching, her expression almost making her seem to be in a waking dream.

"Hello there Harry Potter," said the girl.

"Um, hi," said Harry, "I… don't think we've met?"

"We have, if only in passing," said the girl, "Luna Lovegood. I'm a neighbor and friend of Ginny's".

"Oh, well you're a bit far from home, aren't you?" asked Harry, "What brings you all the way to Surrey?"

"I noticed the Wrackspurts seem to be troubling you," said Luna, "The always leave your thoughts muddled".

"Yeah, I guess you could say I've got a lot on my mind," said Harry, "but still, how did you get all the way to Surrey?"

"Oh, don't worry about that," said Luna, "I'm just wherever I need to be when the plot demands it".

"What?" said Harry.

"Change is coming, Harry Potter," said Luna, "you must be ready for whatever may come".

Harry felt a chill run down his spine… and then noticed that it wasn't just him: it was suddenly getting colder. He remembered the last time he felt a chill like this… the last time he was in the presence of Dementors.

"Luna. Stay close," commanded Harry.

He reached for his pocket and then realized: he'd left his wand behind at #4 Privet Drive. The chill of the dementors grew worse, and soon he saw them closing in. the same horrific memories started being drawn forth from his mind. Luna fell to the ground, sobbing as her own worst memories were dredged up. There was no time to run, the dementors were closing in too fast. In his growing sorrow and panic, Harry reached deep within himself for that power he'd discovered during the 3rd task. He felt the power spark, and enrobe him in violet energy. The power burst outwards spherically, tearing at the dementors and disintegrating them. As the power receded once more, Harry felt the environment return to normal. As Luna recovered from the dementors' effects, she looked at Harry with interest.

"You are full of surprises, Harry Potter," said Luna.

"I guess, though I'm probably going to be expelled for using magic outside of school," said Harry, "I'm already on notice from when Dobby caused me trouble a couple of years ago".

"Not really, since you didn't use your wand," said Luna, "after all, you don't get in trouble for accidental magic, do you?"

"That… actually makes sense," said Harry.

"Now then," said Luna, "you should head to Gringotts. They can help you understand your abilities there".

"Wait a minute," said Harry, "how do you know that? How do you know any of this?"

"Oh, it's standard practice for this sort of thing," said Luna, "You better get going. The pink amphibian will not give up on trying to harm you. She has tried once today, and she will try again. You should go now, there is much you must learn".

With that last statement, Luna turned and began walking away, leaving Harry quite confused. At least now he had a lead of some sort. Harry returned to #4 Privet Drive, collected his belonging, and headed back outside. He summoned the Knight Bus, and was soon of his way to Diagon Alley.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Next time, Harry pays a visit to Gringotts, and begins a new journey see you then!


	2. Chapter 2: Gringotts

**A/N:** Well, here it is, the requisite Gringotts chapter. Let's see what Harry discovers, shall we?

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 2: Gringotts

Harry arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, and swiftly made his way into Diagon Alley. As Luna had (in her strange manner) recommended, he made his way directly to Gringotts. As soon as he entered, an archway similar to a mundane metal detector went off, and one of the guards approached.

"Ah, Mr. Potter we've been expecting your arrival," said the goblin, "come with me".

He was soon brought to an office labeled 'Gashclaw, Potter Accounts Manager'. He headed inside and was soon sat down at the desk. Gashclaw looked up from his paperwork and frown.

"Mr. Potter, I see you've finally decided to grace us with your presence," said Gashclaw, "Why have you been ignoring our summons?"

"What summons?" asked Harry genuinely confused, "I haven't gotten a single piece of mail all summer".

Gashclaw looked at him, waved a hand past Harry, and then nodded.

"I see, it seems you've had a mail redirection spell applied to your place of residence… looks to be Ministry issue, oddly enough," said Gashclaw, "Well, in any case, let's proceed with our business for the day. The magical essence detector at the entrance to our domain has detected a major change within your magical core. You are overdue to collect your Heirship as well, but we need you take a lineage test first. Take this Blood Quill, and sign your name on this parchment. This process will sting for a moment, but shouldn't leave any lasting damage".

"Is lasting damage a hazard with this quill?" asked Harry.

"Only if you were made to write lines with it or something," said Gashclaw, "that would be a form of torture, and not easily healed as a Blood Quill is technically a Dark Artifact… albeit a minor one".

Harry signed his name as requested, and felt a minor stinging in this hand. A moment later the parchment started filling in with new information.

 **Harry James Potter**

 **Blood Status:** _Half Blood_

 **Creature Status:** _TBD, See Vaults_

 **Magical Core Status:** _Unknown/Transient state_

 **Heir To:**

 _House Potter (Blood)_

 _House Peverell (Blood)_

 _House Slytherin (Conquest)_

 _House Draconis (Magical Awakening/See Vaults)_

 ** _Investment, Magical:_**

 _Flourish and Blotts Booksellers, 5%_

 _Madam Malkin's Clothing: 10%_

 _Gambol and Jukes Humor Products: 10%_

 _Bolt Brooms: 50% (Majority Share)_

 ** _Investments, Muggle:_**

 _Under Review_

 ** _Properties:_**

 _Potter Manor, location redacted for security reasons_

 _Potter Cottage, Godric's Hollow (Destroyed, AK/Protection charm interaction)_

 _Lily's Rest, Isle of Man_

 ** _Vaults:_**

 _Potter Hogwarts Trust Vault (Accessible)_

 _Potter Main Vault (Restricted, Limited Access)_

The list went on for a little while but eventually it came to the final entry:

 _Vault #372466 (Accessible)_

As Gashclaw looked over the parchment, his eyes widened at the final entry.

"M-Mr. Potter, it seems you have inherited quite an interesting legacy," said Gashclaw, "we shall have your Potter Heir Ring brought up immediately, and then have a trusted associate take y-you down to the lower levels".

Harry couldn't help his curiosity about Gashclaw's reaction to the last vault on the list.

"What's so special about Vault #372466?" asked Harry.

"You'll learn soon enough," said Gashclaw, "that information cannot be shared in this area. To put it another way, it's above my pay-grade".

After a short wait, a goblin wearing what appeared to be scale mail arrived in the office.

"You requested my presence?" asked the Goblin, "is this the one?"

"Check the parchment yourself if you don't believe me," said Gashclaw.

"No, the truth will reveal itself below," said the goblin, "young one, please take your heir ring and follow me".

Harry put on the ring, and followed the goblin. He was led to the carts down to the vaults, and they started their journey into the depths. The cart rocketed down the tracks, passing numerous junctions as it dropped deeper and deeper. Left, right, middle track, vertical drop, heartline roll, helix turn, cobra roll, the list went on. Harry could just barely notice that these sections of tunnels were far older than any area he'd seen before. Eventually the cart screeched to a halt on a dead end track.

"End of the Line, Mr. Potter," said the Goblin, "follow me".

Harry was led down a passage, arriving at an elevator. The Goblin pulled out a key, and inserted it into the elevator's control panel, and then pulled the lever. The elevator dropped, descending even deeper into the earth. Eventually, it stopped too, and they moved out to arrive in front of a vault door. This door looked to have been carved from stone, and decorated with crystals and reliefs of dragons.

"This is our destination, Vault #372466," said the Goblin, "If the test was correct, which it seems to be, you may enter this vault".

"Are you not coming with me?" asked Harry.

"No, I am the assigned guard for this vault, just as my ancestors have been for countless generations," said the Goblin, "Place your had upon the door, and it shall open for you".

Harry slowly placed his had upon the door, the stone cool to the touch. After a moment, he felt a pulse of magic surround him, before retreating once more. The door slowly began grinding open. Harry stepped inside, not sure what to expect. The vault was surprisingly empty, with the only actual thing of interest being a strange ring made of stone. The really noticeable thing about it was that it was absolutely _huge_! Harry could easily image a full grown dragon being able to fit through the ring with ease. Then out of seemingly nowhere came a voice.

 _"_ _So, you have finally come,"_ said the voice, carrying the weight of eons, _"you who are heir to the ancient power. So, now comes the question: why do you seek this power?"_

"I have been targeted by a Dark Wizard since I was very young, I have fought him face to face three separate times, but he still is not done. I… I want to protect my friends, so that they may have a future".

 _"_ _A good answer, but know this the road ahead of you will not be easy,"_ said the voice, _"You have one last chance. If you wish to turn back, do so now. It you wish to continue forwards say so, and the path will be opened"._

Harry considered for a moment, thinking once more about everything that he'd gone through these last few years. At this point, he'd take any advantage he could get.

"I'll do it," said Harry, "I accept whatever it may be that dwells in this place".

 _"_ _Then, you shall receive that what you seek,"_ said the voice, _step through the portal"._

The stone ring began to light up, revealing crystals set around the outer circumference. The inner circumference started arcing with energy, and Harry felt the massive amount of power ionizing the air around him. Finally, the energy resolved into the rippling surface of a portal. Harry approached and stepped through. A moment later he felt himself being drawn away as he was sent careening across space-time. As he travelled, he felt a strange change overtake him and everything went white…

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Harry has been sent on his way to whatever lies beyond the portal. Next time: Arrival see you then!


	3. Chapter 3 Arrival in the Realms

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Harry has arrived beyond the portal, and its time for him learn what power dwell within him.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 3: Arrival in the Realms

Harry found himself launched from the far side of the portal, and tumbled unceremoniously to the ground. Everything fell odd, the very air tasted different. He slowly got up on all fours, feeling the ground beneath his claws.

 _'_ _Wait a minute!'_

Harry lifted his arm to examine it: to his shock, it was covered in purple scales, and tipped with sharp claws, yet still shaped for manual dexterity. Harry examine his surroundings, and saw he was in the depths of a large ancient forest, not dissimilar to the Forbidden Forest near Hogwarts. He moved over to a pond he could see nearby, finding that moving with this new body seemed to be instinctual. Harry arrived at the pond, and looked at his reflection. There was no mistaking it: he was a dragon! His scales were a vibrant shade of purple, and he had yellow-orange spines running down the length of his back to his spade-shaped tail-blade. The same orange and yellow coloration extended to his wings. The one feature with the least change was his eyes: they were the same, vibrant shade of green as ever. The strangest thing was that this form didn't seem foreign; it was like it was natural for him.

Harry looked back at the portal, seeing it had closed. It seemed there really was no turning back at this point. As he considered his options, several rather large shadows passed overhead. Harry quickly dived for the underbrush. A moment later, a group of four dragons in a variety of colors, and much larger than him landed near the portal.

"This is the place," said the red dragon, "The Pool of Visions showed that this portal would be the one to open".

The yellow dragon looked at the portal ring, and then spoke up, seeming quite energetic.

"Yes, exciting, intriguing, mystifying!" said the yellow dragon, "this portal shows signs of recent activation!"

"Well, then where would our guest be?" said the blue dragoness.

"I doubt our guest has gone far," said the green dragon.

As Harry watched, the green dragon was surrounded by some sort of magic, and seemed to be breathing deeply. Harry felt the magic wash over him, feeling like the wind on a spring day.

"I see, our guest has decided to observe us from the bushes nearby," said the green dragon, "You need not fear, we seek you no harm, young one".

Harry, knowing he'd been caught cautiously stepped out. As the older dragons saw him, their eyes went wide.

"So, the ancient legends have come about once more," said the red dragon calmly, "the Purple Dragon has been found. It is an honor to meet you, young dragon. I am Infernus, Guardian of Fire".

"I am known as Ampeer, Guardian of Lightning," said the yellow dragon, still quite excited.

"You may call me Glacia," said the blue dragoness haughtily, "the ever noble Guardian of Ice".

"And I am Olivine," said the green dragon, "Guardian of Earth".

"Uh… hi, I'm Harry," he said. Something about these dragons seemed trustworthy, "I came through the portal… and when I woke up, I was changed into this".

"Yes, as expected," said Infernus, "that portal is one of the few connections left with the human world. It has been centuries since one of the doors has opened. If you would please, follow us: the temple is not far".

"A temple?" asked Harry, "what will happen there?"

"Simple, young dragon, you have been brought to our world for a reason. It it our role to guide you in unlocking the power that dwells deep within you." said Infernus, "At the temple, we will begin your training. We can explain more on the way".

Harry considered his options. He could try running, but he doubted he'd be able to outrun 4 full grown dragons. At the same time, he knew that he had no reason to be scared. These dragons, guardians they called themselves, seemed to legitimately want to help him. He knew nothing of this world, nothing of what he could do with this new form. He decided: He would do with them.

"Alright," said Harry, "let's go".

The group of five set off, moving through the forest whose trees dwarfed even the Guardians. As they went along, Harry asked the questions that he had.

"So, why did I become a dragon upon entering this world?" asked Harry, "does everyone?"

"No, young dragon," said Infernus, "while humans can exist in this world, they are not present in this realm any longer. They fell into conflict with other races of our lands long ago, closing most of the portals to their realm permanently. They knew of dragons before coming to our world, but their knowledge was mostly of the firedrakes, a less intelligent species of dragon only capable of communicating in the tongue of serpents. In your case, it seems you were, though one means on another, granted the power of the Purple Dragon".

"You made it sound like me being a purple dragon is something special," said Harry, "why is that?"

"Because it is something special," said Infernus, "it is said that the Purple Dragon can master every element, and are capable of great deeds. It is believed that once every 10 generations when the Purple Dragon appears, it signals a great change in the world".

"But that doesn't mean it's a change for the better," said Harry.

"Do not let it trouble you, young dragon," said Infernus, "in all of our world's long and storied history, there has only been one occasion then the arrival of the Purple Dragon has heralded something truly negative. While certainly your appearance mean there will be change in the world we know, I know in my heart that in the end, it will be a change for the better".

"We're here," said Olivine.

Harry stared at the massive structure before him. The intricately carved stonework was decorated with swirling patterns. As well, the forest seemed to have been in the midst of reclaiming this ancient site, trees growing and covering portions of the structure.

"You live here?" asked Harry.

"Not normally. Usually, each of us maintains our own lairs, but this is a meeting place, a neutral ground where the disparate varieties of dragons may meet to discuss the goings on in our respective lands. There are other temples like this one across the lands, but this is the one where we shall stay for now," said Infernus, "just like how the Guardians of ages past have each previous time the Purple Dragon has appeared".

The group of five dragons approached the temple, Infernus opening the way to the interior. They made their way inside, moving through the ancient hallway. Harry could stop himself looking around in awe. The walls were covered in murals depicting scenes of the history of dragonkind. He spotted images of dragon meeting with bipedal moles and felines, forming alliances. Scenes of the building of great cities, scenes of great battles, including 2 young dragons facing off against a much larger dragon. Finally they came upon an image of 2 dragons, one purple and one black, looking at each other with care.

"Ah, I see you've found the memorial to Spyro and Cynder," said Infernus, "Spyro is said to have been 2nd purple dragon to have ever been born. Legends tell that he battled against the Dark Master, Malefor, who sought to destroy the entire world. It is said then Spyro used his power as a Purple Dragon to heal the scars Malefor inflicted our world".

"It… sounds like I've got quite a reputation to live up to," said Harry, "I'm not sure I'm ready for this".

"Fear not, young dragon," said Infernus, "that is way we're here: to teach you, to guide you towards unlocking your abilities".

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Now I'm sure some of you are wondering 'which version of Spyro's world/the Dragon Realms is this?' The answer: al of them. The way I've laid it out in my head goes like this: of the 3 Purple Dragons we've played as in various games, Legend Spyro (simply referred to as Spyro in this story) is the most ancient, being the 2nd Purple Dragon. Classic Spyro (who when he comes up will be referred to as Elnos) was the 10th Purple Dragon. Skylanders Spyro (Called Ilren in this story) was the 19th Purple Dragon. Harry, in case you're wondering is the 22nd Purple Dragon.

Anyway, next time: Harry training on using the powers of Dragonkind will begin. staring with, of course wielding Fire see you then!


	4. Chapter 4: Training Begins

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Time for Harry to tell the Guardians of his past, and for him to begin learning.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 4: Training Begins

Harry and the Guardians continued deeper into the temple, soon coming to a meeting room. The Guardians took up positions beneath sigils matching the color of their scales, before turning to face Harry once more.

"Well, it seems that this place is still in fairly good shape, thank the Ancestors," said Glacia, "So young one, what is your story? What led you to seek out the gate to our realm?"

Harry looked around at the Guardians, and realized that something about this place made him feel safe. Harry began to recount his life before coming to the Dragon Realms. He told them of how his family was slain by the Dark Lord Voldemort, and he was left with his loathing relatives, the Dursleys. He told of how the treated them, and saw the sorrow of the faces of the Guardians. He told them of his time at Hogwarts, learning to use magic and facing down deadly threats on an unusually frequent basis. The Troll, the trials guarding the Sorcerer's Stone, the Basilisk, the presence that rat Pettigrew, the attack by the dementors, the entirety of the Triwizard Tournament, and finally the events of his summer so far. By then end, Harry could see how shocked the Guardians were.

"Young dragon," said Inferus, "thank you for sharing your tale. You've clearly had quite the long day. You should rest for now. We can begin your training in the morning".

Olivine guided Harry to a bedroom, and then returned to the other Guardians. They soon began discussing how to deal with their new charge.

"It seems that young one has been through more than any his age should have to," said Olivine, "yet he perseveres".

"Indeed," said Infernus, "In all honesty, I'd like to meet those humans who dare call themselves his kin, just so they may meet my flames".

"Only if I may show them power of Ice as well," said Glacia, "what kind of monsters would abuse a hatchling!?"

"Only the most despicable, atrocious, horrendous type of creatures," said Ampeer.

"In many ways, we're lucky that young one is still of pure and noble heart," said Infernus, "If the situation had been different…"

He didn't need to say more. They all grew up knowing the stories of what happens if a Purple Dragon's heart is consumed by darkness and sorrow. They knew they had to be the ones to guide him towards a better future for all, not just for the sake of their land, but for all worlds.

* * *

 _In Harry's dreams, he found himself at the mouth of a cave overlooking a wide valley. In the distance, he could see a great city, and beyond that, a massive volcano. After a moment, Harry noticed another coming to stand beside him. It, like him was a Purple Dragon, this one much larger than him. This other Purple Dragon looked at him with kind eyes._

 _"_ _It's beautiful, isn't it?" said the other Purple Dragon._

 _"_ _Yeah, it is," Harry agreed, "who are you?"_

 _"_ _You can call me Spyro," said the other Purple Dragon, "This is the world as I knew it, many ages ago"._

 _"_ _It's nice to meet you?" Harry said uncertainly._

 _"_ _You need not fear," said Spyro, "I only seek to aid you along the way. In my lifetime, I came to love this place, the Valley of Avalar. It was my home for most of my life"._

 _"_ _Why now, though? I've only just arrived in this world," asked Harry._

 _"_ _Because, I must give you a warning," said Spyro, "Our power, that of the Purple Dragon, is far greater than even the legends claim. However, there is a dangerous flaw in our nature"._

 _"_ _What kind of flaw?" asked Harry._

 _"_ _We possess a connection to a powerful Element known as Aether," said Spyro, "In some ways it is the ultimate element, capable of creating and destroying in equal measure. However, it we allow our hearts to be consumed negative emotions… we become overwhelmed by our own inner darkness, and are transformed into creatures of boundless cruelty and devastation. To make things worse, if you fall into this state, you can't pull yourself out on your own. You need to have someone else present, a friend, someone you care about and can rely on that will be there to pull you back from the brink"._

 _Harry could see it clearly: Spyro knew this from personal experience._

 _"_ _You've had it happen to you, haven't you?" asked Harry._

 _"_ _I have, more than once," said Spyro, "but each time I slipped into this state, my beloved Cynder was there to restore me to the right frame of mind. But, just remember, you are still young, and have a long life ahead of you. Don't push yourself too hard, listen to the Guardian, and remember that in time of crisis, sometimes it takes naught but the smallest amount of courage to turn the tides of war"._

* * *

Harry awoke, blinking for a moment before remembering where was and all the events of the previous day. A glance at his clawed, violet-scaled foreleg confirmed it wasn't all just a strange dream. He moved from the rather comfortable room he'd been provided, the cool morning air helping wake him up. His nose soon caught the scent of cooking meat, which he followed to a dining hall. He found the Guardians already present. As he entered, Infernus took notice of him.

"Ah, Harry was it?" said Infernus, "Did you rest well?"

"I suppose so, sir," said Harry, "What is the plan for today?"

"We should get started on teaching you to use your abilities," said Infernus with a smile, "but first, breakfast".

After a hearty meal, Harry and Infernus moved on to the training room, whle the rest of the Guardians headed off to make sure other sections of the temple were in as good shape as the section they'd been using. The room Infernus led Harry into was dominated by a massive statue. Harry recognized the dragon depicted in stone: It was Spyro, the same dragon he'd seen in his dreams last night! Infernus concentrated for a moment, and then the statue descended into the floor, with a stone slab covering the hole.

"Now then," said Infernus, "It is time for you to begin learning to wield the power of the Elements. We shall being by awakening the power of the primal flame within you. Close your eyes, and just breathe".

Harry did just that, ready for the next instructions.

"Clear you mind, young dragon," said Infernus, "feel the fire that flows through you veins. Allow its heat to consume you, and breathe with it. Allow it to build in intensity. Now, rise up, and unleash the firestorm within you!"

Harry reached inwards, and saw the purple crystal once more, he head Infernus' words as if from a great distance. He tried to clear his mind of all thoughts other than the concept of fire. He felt it. He knew it. He could direct it, shape its power to his will. He felt it blaze brighter, and felt his body being lifted into the air, his eyes snapped open, and he could see the flames surrounding him. Harry inhaled, feeling the raging flames draw closer but not harm him, and then released the flames, causing them to expand to fill most of the room.

"Excellent, young dragon!" said Infernus, "now that you've learned to draw upon your fire, now you can learn to direct it".

The next few hours was consumed by the lessons, Infernus summoning training dummies which Harry soon destroyed with various techniques. After a seeing what he could do with only a small portion of his potential abilities, Harry began to feel better about this situation. Maybe, just maybe, he _could_ do this.

"It seems you have taken to my Element well, Harry," said Infernus with a smile, "Now then, we should head to the archives. Learning what it means to be the Purple Dragon isn't going to be all fun and incinerating practice targets. There is much knowledge to be gained by looking to the past".

"Lead the way," said Harry.

The pair of dragons headed off so Harry could begin their studies. Little did they know, Harry's disappearance had been noticed, and certain truths would soon be revealed.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Harry has successfully learned to harness to Element of Fire. As you can see, the Dragon Realms in this story are drawing more from Legend of Spyro, as that's the version of the world I'm most familiar with. Next time: We see what's going on in the back in the Wizarding World, and see how a certain Headmaster is reacting to recent events. See you then!


	5. Chapter 5: The Phoenix

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Let's see what's going on in the wizarding world, shall we?

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 5: The Phoenix

Hogwarts Castle

August 1, 1995

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore sat at the desk in his office, looking over a report from his old friend Alastor Moody. Despite how odd he may behave at times, Albus knew Alastor was still a reliable ally, and hadn't lost touch with his skills as an Auror. The report proved that: It was clear, concise, and free of needless speculation.

The report detailed the events that had occurred in Little Whinging, Surrey, just yesterday, details of the attack on and subsequent disappearance of Harry Potter. The report spoke of how Harry slipped past Mundungus Fletcher.

 _'_ _Why do I even keep Fletcher around?'_ thought Dumbledore, _'oh yes, his skills as an informant to the goings on of seedy underbelly of the wizarding world, that was it'._

The report went on to detail Moody's discussion with Albus' main agent on scene, Arabella Figg, and how she spotted dementors in the area. That was quite troubling, as all dementors in Great Britain were carefully controlled by the Ministry of Magic, meaning their presence in Surrey wasn't some random attack… no, it meant someone _ordered_ them there. Albus knew it couldn't be Voldemort. While he'd gained the allegiance of the dementors in the last war, he was still keeping a low profile. This only left one possibility: someone in the Ministry was attempting to assassinate Harry!

However, despite this Albus wasn't too worried. The last time Harry was seen was when he entered Gringotts. He knew that the Goblins wouldn't allow harm to come to their clients. It was possible the Goblins had put Harry up in a private room (he was the last heir to an Ancient and Noble House, after all). However, there was another aspect of these events that made him doubt this. Included in Moody's report was a printout of the readings from said Ex-Auror's magical eye. Of particular note were the energy readings from the park where the dememtors had attacked. They were the same type of energy as the remnants clinging to Harry after his return from the graveyard. The same type power that was spoken of in ancient legends, one that hadn't been seen since…

Aldus Dumbledore placed a hand atop his collarbone, remembering what sat there, remembering the knowledge passed down from his forefathers.

 _'_ _Could it be? Oh… Harry, if I had known,'_ thought Albus, who then said, "Fawkes, I think I have a good idea for where young Mr. Potter may be".

The phoenix tilted his head and simply trilled.

"I know you have been bound to the service of the Headmaster of Hogwarts ever since the time of the Founders Four," said Dumbledore, "tell me, what do you know of the Dragon Realms?"

Fawkes trilled out a beautiful song, and in Albus' mind he saw a vision of an ancient temple among a swampland and surrounded by giant fungi, a wide, verdant valley home to humanoid felines, a great city with dragons walking down the streets alongside other, smaller races.

"Ah, I expected you would," said Albus, "If what Alastor has reported is correct, and I have no reason to doubt him, I suspect that that is where we will find Mr. Potter. Do you know how to access the Dragon Realms?"

Fawkes trilled sadly, and Albus knew this mean 'no'.

"Fear not, my feathered friend, for I can help you with that," said Albus, "I can cast magic upon you which will allow you access. Would you like this?"

Fawkes' expression brightened, and Albus knew he had permission.

"Now, hold still," said Albus, "This will tickle for a moment".

Albus raised his wand, and wove the spell around Fawkes. The magic settled in to place, and Fawkes looked Albus beckoningly.

"Not this time, Fawkes," said Albus, "I believe you should go alone this first time. I know you are familiar with Mr. Potter's magical signature. I would like for you to scout out his position, so that I may speak with him in the future. I suspect he may not be pleased with me at the moment. However, I must speak with him… to correct my mistakes".

Fawkes flew over to land on Albus' shoulder to nuzzle his cheek, before taking to the air once more, and flaming away. He found himself moving through a place outside standard space-time, It was a zone of ultimate contradiction, both completely filled with matter and energy while also being a total void. Fawkes had experienced much in his immortal existence, but this was something different. He worried he might have become lost for a few moments until Albus' spell kicked it. Fawkes followed the guidance of the spell Albus had placed over him, and emerged in the air above a dense forest. The phoenix extended his perception, feeling for the familiar resonance of Harry Potter's magic.

 _Ah, there it was! Strange… it feels different, stronger._

Fawkes flew towards where he felt this familiar magic, and soon came upon a massive temple. He could feel Harry Potter's magic within. Fawkes found an open window, and flew over to land on the windowsill. He found himself looking in to what appeared to be a library. Sitting there were two dragons, one large red one and a much smaller purple one. Fawkes could feel it, he knew it: Harry Potter's magic was coming from the young purple dragon!

Fawkes trilled to announce his presence, catching the attention of both dragons. They looked up, both surprised to see him.

"A phoenix!?" said the red dragon, "They've not been seen in many years!"

"Wait," said the purple dragon, "Fawkes? Is that you?"

Fawkes sang happily, recognizing Harry Potter's voice. He flew down, landing atop a table. Fawkes looked closer at the dragons before him. He could sense a familiar power within them. Both of these dragons' hearts blazed with the power of the primal flame, just like his did. For the first time in quite a while, he could hold a conversation that of more substance than trilling out a song and hoping his listener understood the projected imagery.

 _"_ _Greetings, great dragons,"_ said Fawkes, _"It is a pleasure to meet you… or to meet you again in young Harry's case"._

"Wait, I understood that," said Harry, "is this some special ability I've got now? The power to understand all creatures?"

 _"_ _I do not believe so,"_ said Fawkes, _"I am speaking to you in Ignan, the language of Elemental Fire. I can feel the fire within you, and therefore decided to see if the knowledge of this tongue was within you. You've displayed that at the very least, you can comprehend it"._

"But there is still the question," said Infernus, "What brings you to this place? From the sounds of it, you are already acquainted with my student".

 _"_ _Indeed I am,"_ said Fawkes, _"I am a sworn protector of any and all who attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and have been since the Founders Four laid the first stone of their great work. Has Harry told you of his encounter with Thocca?"_

"Who?" asked Harry.

 _"_ _The Basilisk, Harry, Salazar's contribution to the schools defenses,"_ said Fawkes.

"Yes, Harry did tell us of that incident," said Infernus, "then you were the one to aid him?"

 _"_ _Indeed, as sad as I was to see Thocca fall, she would have had trouble living with the pain of harming so many students. She would have likely allowed herself to waste away from sorrow, and would have punished herself so much more severely had Mr. Potter and/or young Ms. Weasley perished. While I am saddened to see Thocca leave this life, I do not begrudge you. You saved her from the suffering she'd have inflicted upon herself"._

"But… I killed her," said Harry sadly, "I killed your friend".

 _"_ _She was mortal,"_ said Fawkes, _"I am not. I've lost count of the number of beings I've seen pass into the beyond since time began. In all honesty, while it does have some benefits, immortality really isn't all it's cracked up to be. In any case, we've gotten quite off course here. You asked why I have come here. I come at the behest of the current Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore. He requested I seek you out after that attack upon young Harry here by dementors yesterday"._

"I'm… not certain I want to talk to Professor Dumbledore right now," said Harry, "with how he left me to wallow in grief after the events of the tournament".

 _"_ _An action he now regrets, Harry,"_ said Fawkes, _"he may have considerable arcane skill for a human, but he is also fallible. Just like every being in the world he makes mistakes. I believe he wishes to try and atone for some of his previous mistakes"._

"It seems this 'Dumbledore' is wise, if he is capable of perceiving his own failings," said Infernus, "However, now comes the question of how did you find your way to this Realm?"

 _"_ _I did not know how to find this place until recently,"_ said Fawkes, _"Dumbledore cast a spell upon me, granting me knowledge of how to find my way to this world. Now that I've been here once, I can find my way here easily"._

"You say Dumbledore granted you this knowledge," said Infernus, "that means… Fawkes, I would like you to bring Dumbledore to us. We will meet with the other Guardians, and discuss with him what he knows".

 _"_ _And what do you plan to do with Albus after that?"_ asked Fawkes.

"Fear not, we intend him no harm," said Infernus, "If what I believe about him is true, then he shall know what to expect from meeting us. If you would please, arrive with him just outside the temple".

 _"_ _Very well,"_ said Fawkes, _"I shall return soon with Dumbledore"._

With that Fawkes flamed away, leaving Harry and Infernus to stare at where he'd been.

"Come now, Young Dragon," said Infernus, "we shall gather the other Guardians and must prepare to greet our guest".

* * *

 **A/N:** Well then, I wonder, just what does Dumbledore know? How does Dumbledore know how to open extra-planar portals? You'll have to come back next time to find out! Next time, Dumbledore arrives in the Dragon Realms. See you then!


	6. Chapter 6: Albus' Arrival

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Let's see what Albus has to say for himself.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 6: Albus' Arrival

Fawkes flamed back into the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, and found Dumbledore waiting for him.

"Good to see you back," said Albus, "were you successful?"

Fawkes sang, projecting images of his meeting with the dragons into Dumbledore's mind, as well as the idea they should travel together to meet with these Guardians.

"Is that so?" said Dumbledore, "well then, if you're up to it we should meet with them as soon as possible. You're not feeling too worn down from your inter-dimensional travels, are you?"

Fawkes transmitted that he was feeling fine, and was ready to go whenever Dumbledore was.

"Ah, excellent!" said Albus, "let me just grab a couple of things…"

Albus went around his office, collecting his Pensive, a gnarled wooden staff topped with a sapphire, and a simple looking iron key. He then sent a note to his faculty stating he'd be out of the office for the rest of the day.

"Alright, that's everything," said Albus, "time to go, Fawkes".

The phoenix landed on his shoulder, and a moment later they were gone. It had been a long time since Albus had traveled between worlds, he'd not done it since he was much younger and his grandfather had shown him how to open the doors. A moment later, Fawkes and Dumbledore arrived, standing just outside the Dragon Temple. As they watched, the doors slid open, revealing a large blue dragoness.

"Albus Dumbledore?" asked the dragoness.

"Indeed I am," said Albus, "I believe you may have found one of my students".

"Follow me," said the dragoness.

She led Albus inside, and as they went he couldn't help his eye roving to the ancient murals on the walls. Eventually they reached the meeting room, where Albus' guide joined her fellow Guardians. He also spotted a much smaller purple scaled dragon alongside them.

"Albus Dumbledore," said the red dragon, "I am Infernus, Guardian of Fire. These are my fellow Guardians: Ampeer, Glacia, and Olivine. Allow me welcome you to the Dragon Realms. It has been quite some time since any of the portals to the human world have opened. Our young charge here has spoke of you and your… actions in the years he has attended you academy of magic. However your phoenix has vouched for you. Before we continue, we have some questions for you".

"I understand," said Albus, "I will answer them to the best of my abilities".

"Very well, the first thing I must ask is how you knew how to access this realm?" asked Infernus.

"Ah, this knowledge was passed down to me by my forefathers," said Albus, "My family has been caretakers of this legacy for millennia".

Albus reached down the front of his robes, and pulled out a necklace. It resembled an Ouroborous, but within the ring formed by the serpent's body was a depiction of a galaxy. As the Guardian's saw this, their eye went wide.

"That necklace!" said Infernus.

"It's amazing, incredible, fantastic!" said Ampeer, "a Portal Master!"

Albus couldn't help a smile at this excitable dragon, he and Fillus would get along famously.

"Calm yourself, Ampeer," said Infernus, "it seems I was correct about who you are. Now then, what is all this we've been hearing from young Harry here about the unusually high amount of dangers he's been facing while attending your school?"

Albus considered Infernus' words for a moment, before looking closer at the purple dragon and seeing a familiar lightning-bolt scar above his eye. Albus' came to the realization that this purple dragon _was_ Harry. He thought back to the words of the prophecy, and realized that this certainly qualified.

"That is going to take some explaining," said Albus, "I have done much in my life. I cannot claim I am blameless for some aspects of the world's ills. Let's take a step back. In the 1940's in my world, about fifty years ago now, a young man named Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr. attended Hogwarts. His childhood was not a good one: growing up in an orphanage and frequently bullied. After he became a student, he was able to come out of his shell, and showed himself to be quite the charming, charismatic young man… at least, that what most people saw. I was still just a professor back then, but I could see below this charming mask he wore to the damaged soul beneath. Harry, I believe you already know this part?"

The purple dragon looked at him, and sighed.

"Of course I do Headmaster," said Harry, "he released Thocca, the Basilisk, to attack students, and causing the death of the girl we now know as Moaning Myrtle. He also went on the label himself as Lord Voldemort".

"Exactly," said Albus, "after he graduated, he tried to become a professor at Hogwarts, but his application was denied. Sometime later, the first Death Eater attacks occurred. Harry, your family and many others joined with my side opposing them. This war, there's no other way to describe it, seemed set to rage on without end. Then, a prophecy was made".

"A prophecy?" said Infernus, "what did it entail?"

"It spoke one who would soon be born," aaid Albus, "one who would have the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. I will share the full details with you later. But, I'm certain Harry remembers what I told him at the end of his 3rd year, about how that was the second actual prophecy I'd even known Professor Trelawney to have spoken?"

"You're saying Trelawney made this prophecy?" said Harry.

"Precisely! If we were at Hogwarts right now, I'd award you points for getting the answer so quickly," said Dumbledore, "I knew of two sets of people who would soon have a child fulfilling the conditions of the prophecy. They were the Longbottoms… and the Potters. I convinced both your parents and the Longbottoms to go into hiding, Mr. Potter, hoping they would be safe".

"But then Pettegrew betrayed us," said Harry, "and Neville's parents?"

Dumbledore sighed, he knew he couldn't keep this to himself any longer.

"After Voldemort attacked you family and the events of that fateful Halloween night, Mr. Potter, a group of Death Eaters went after the Longbottoms, seeking information on what happened to their lord," said Albus, "Frank and Alice Longbottom are still in the Intensive Spell Damage Ward at St. Mungos Hospital from damage inflicted by the Cruciatus Curse".

"I wasn't sure who we could truly trust at the time, and in a decision I now regret, I placed you with the Dursleys, as they were your closest living relatives," said Albus, "I had hoped that Pentunia would be willing to put aside her old disagreements with her sister and treat you decently. It seems some people just can't let go of the past".

"Yeah, like Snape," said Harry.

"Professor Snape, Mr. Potter," replied Albus automatically before continuing, "but now allow me to explain the events of your time at Hogwarts. During your first year, I should have been more aware of Quirrel's odd behavior, but I foolishly wrote it off as him being nervous in his new role as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. After all, it's been quite some time since we've had a DADA professor last on the job for more than 1 school year".

"I heard gossip around the Hogwarts claiming Voldemort cursed the position," said Harry.

"Yes, that rumor's been running around for quite some time," said Albus, "but the truth is we've had trouble retaining someone for that position for far longer than Voldemort has been active. This curse… or whatever it may be, gets blamed on whoever the most recent person to call themselves a Dark Lord may be. I remember this same sort of rumor back when _I_ was a student. In any case, I knew Voldemort wasn't truly gone, and he still had agents out there. I suspected that someone in the school was working for him, so I set up the trials at Hogwarts to attempt to capture this agent of Voldemort's".

"But those test were easy," said Harry, "I mean, a group of three first year students got through them with relative ease!"

"Exactly," said Albus, "I knew that my announcement would cause roughly three-quarters of the student body to want to investigate. That is why I had the professor set up tests that wouldn't be overly dangerous… as well as having monitoring spells over the whole thing. You and your friends were not the first students to sneak in there, Mr. Potter. After the winter holidays, I place the final element of the tests, the Mirror of Erised, guarding a fake Sorcerer's Stone".

"You told me it was a real one, and you disposed of it!" said Harry.

"Yes, because I needed you believe that until you could have the time to learn Occulmency, the art defending you mind against intrusion. Seeing as you didn't have this skill yet, I felt that this lie would protect the real stone, which I returned to Nicolas. I'll have to help you with lessons on Occulmency once the next term begins".

"And what about my second year?" asked Harry, "That diary…"

"Yes, that was another mistake on my part," said Albus, "there is no way such an artifact should have been allowed into Hogwarts. I didn't realize at the time that the wards had become weakened to the point that something like that could get in. However, these events did confirm a suspicion of mine".

"And what was that?" said Olivine.

"I knew Voldemort had used some form of black magic to attempt to prevent his death," said Albus, "the descriptions Mr. Potter and Ms. Weasley gave of the diary and its effect told me the method he'd used: He had created Horcruxes".

"What's a Horcrux?" asked Harry.

"One of the most horrific magical artifact ever devised," said Albus, "It is also known as a Phylactery or a Soul Jar. It is created by performing a ritual that put great strain upon the caster's soul. The caster must then perform an act of great cruelty, such as murder. This act causes the caster's soul to split in half. This soul fragment is then bound into an object. So long as this object then remains intact, the caster cannot truly die, as their soul is still anchored to the physical realm".

"You said _Horcruxes_ , plural," said Glacia, "you suspect he made more than one?"

"Unfortunately, I know he did," said Albus, "If he only had the one, he would have been unable to return to life earlier this year. No, based off of what I know from the years I had him as student, and the years spend fighting against him, I suspect made seven Horcruxes".

"S-seven!?" said Infernus, "that would mean…"

"The Voldemort that was returned to life only has 1/128th of a soul," said Albus, "I have begun the process of strengthening the wards around Hogwarts, and they should be fully charged by the end of summer next year".

"As for your third year, I have no excuses for my failings," said Albus, "I was the one who cast the Fidelus Charm over your family's home, Mr. Potter. I knew they had changed Secret Keepers, but in the chaos of that night, Bartemus Crouch Sr. grabbed Sirus and threw him into Azkaban as quickly as he could, then buried his arrest record deeply in the DMLE's files. I was unable to prevent that great injustice to occur involving Mr. Black".

"But… you can help him now right?" asked Harry.

"Unfortunately, it's not that easy," said Albus, "While we could get some assistance in getting the charges against Mr. Black cleared, the court of public opinion has already decided long ago that Mr. Black is guilty… he'd likely never escape that. As well, Cornelius Fudge is controlled by those who fund him… many of which are Death Eaters who managed escape justice. I should have insisted harder that Cornelius assign some reserve Aurors around the school, and not the dementors".

"And Fourth year?" asked Harry.

"I had hoped that you'd not end up getting involved in the Tri-Wizard Tournament," said Albus, "As I said at the start of the year, the Ministry of Magic voted to hold the Tri-Wizard Tournament to foster improved international relations. I was honestly shocked when you name came out of the Goblet. I looked into every section of the rules of the tournament I could to see if there was a way to get you _out_ of it safely. Unfortunately, the contract involved in the tournament left few loopholes, and none which could aid you".

"And what about Crouch Jr.?" asked Harry.

"I will admit, he was a skilled actor," said Albus, "he even managed to fool me, and I've known Alastor for years!"

"And what will you do now?" asked Infernus.

"I plan to try and make up for my past mistakes," said Albus, "I know I don't really deserve it, but Mr. Potter… no, Harry: can you find it in your heart to forgive this foolish old man?"

Albus watched Harry Potter, and awaited his response.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! next time, we see Harry decision... and come to learn of the prophecy between himself and Voldemort. See you then!


	7. Chapter 7: The Prophecy

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! I think many of you already know what Harry's answer is going to be. So, let's get to it!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 7: The Prophecy

Harry stared at Headmaster Dumbledore, and considered his words. As much as he wanted to be angry at Dumbledore about what he'd done, he just couldn't. If he did, he'd have to blame himself for his actions in each of these events of his time at Hogwarts. His reaction involving the (apparently fake) Sorcerer's Stone. Him being foolish enough to write in Tom's Diary. How he also became swayed by the beliefs of other and thought Sirius betrayed his parents. As for the tournament… well, that was Crouch Junior's fault, really. There was only one answer he could truly give, looking at all the facts.

"I… I forgive you Headmaster," said Harry.

"Thank you Harry," said Albus, "now then, I have some important information I need to share with you. I had hoped not to need to tell the full details of this until you'd graduated, hoped you'd be allowed to enjoy your time as a student at Hogwarts in peace, but it seems fate has different plans".

Albus pulled out his Pensive, showing it to the dragons before him.

"This is an artifact known as a Pensive," said Albus, "It allows others to view the memories placed within it. I will use it to show you the night the Sybil Trelawney made her fateful prophecy. It is also charmed to detect false or altered memories".

"That sounds quite useful," said Infernus, "show us the memory".

"Of course, just allow me to draw up a table," said Albus.

He waved his wand at an empty area of the room, and a table appeared out of thin air. He then placed the Pensive upon the table. Next, he placed his wand against the temple, pulling it away trailing a silver strand. He placed it into the bowl, where it soon filled it with swirling fluid.

"Now, normally to use the Pensive, you submerge your face into the bowl," said Albus, "given your physical size, that won't work in this case. Luckily, this particular Pensive is also designed to project images".

Albus tapped his wand against a specific set of runes along the rim, and the fluid glowed brightly before an image appeared before them all. They saw a peculiarly dressed woman with oversized glasses. Harry recognized the face of Professor Trelawney.

 _"_ _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not… and either must die at the hands of the other for neither can live while the other survives… the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies"._

The image faded once more, and the dragons were left to consider these words.

"This does seem like a true prophecy," said Infernus, "What do you suspect this 'power the Dark Lord knows not' is?"

"For some time, I believed it might be that powerful force known as Love, something Voldemort experienced very little of. And, while it still may play into things as a whole, it no longer believe that it is Love alone which is the key," said Albus, "seeing Harry now... well, almost all the doors between our worlds have been closed for centuries, millennia in some cases. I certainly believe Voldemort would not know of the power of those who reside in this and other worlds".

"And the power a Purple Dragon can learn to wield is great indeed," said Infernus, "You wish for Harry to return to the human world, don't you?"

"I do, when he is ready," said Albus, "how long to you believe his training among you might take?"

"It shouldn't take terribly long," said Infernus, "Harry's already show a decent grasp of the element of Fire, and so long as he promises to keep up his practice, he should be ready to return to the human world before the end of the month".

"Excellent!" said Albus, "I should return to Hogwarts before I'm missed. Actually, I have an idea. Would you be amenable to be reopening one of the ancient portals? In particular, the one located in the Forbidden Forest near Hogwarts".

"That would be acceptable," said Infernus, "It would also allow young Harry here and easier was to came and go as needed".

"Very well," replied Dumbledore, "I must be on my way then, before I'm missed".

"Wait!" said Harry, "before you go, I have one more question: what did the Guardians mean when the called you a 'Portal Master'?"

Dumbledore smiled kindly, glad that Harry truly was willing to give him another chance.

"I am certain you can find information about this in the archives here at the temple," said Albus, "but the title, at least in our world, goes back several millennia, back when shamanistic practices were more common. A great evil rose throughout the Realms, and the greatest warriors of that time were captured and banished through space and time, across the infinite void of Convexity. They arrived in the human world, transfigured to stone and shrunken to the size of small figurines. While they could not move in this state, their spirits could still reach out to those ancient mages that found them. These mages were able to create ritual circles to send these warriors back to where the belonged, free them of the spell they were under, and aid them in defeating this evil. In recognition for their aid, the warriors taught the mages how to create more permanent gateways between worlds. These mages became the first Portal Masters. This legacy has been passed down among my family for generations".

"Yes, I believe that was the era of Ilren, the 19th Purple Dragon. I believe it is also known as the Age of Skylands, when we discovered a sub-plane composed entirely of floating islands. As Albus mentioned, I'm certain you could learn more if you pursue the archives".

"Thank you again for your time, noble Guardians," said Albus, "And Harry, I expect you to keep up with your studies. Consider it summer homework".

With that, Dumbledore stepped out of the Temple, the five dragons in tow. He stepped into the forest, and came to a secluded glade. In this place there stood a stone circle, worn by age but still in good shape. Dumbledore reached into his pocket, and pulled out a simple-looking iron key. He raised it into the empty space above the central dais, and turned the key. The glade was suddenly flooded with energy, and the portal swirled open, soon stabilizing.

"This is where I take my leave," said Albus, "oh, one more thing! Harry, Hedwig showed up at the school Owlery this morning. I'm certain she'll be glad to see you. If I learn anything else of interest, I'll send it with her".

With that, Albus stepped through the portal returning to the human world.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! As you can see I took a certain segment of the timeline and altered the events a bit, made it a bit more serious. Anyway next time, Harry continues his training in the Dragon Realms, and learns to fly. See you then!

 **Review Responses:** (Black Fang) While that does seem like an interesting story idea, I'm not really the up to taking to story challenges.

(Ikki) Saw that Death Battle, and I agree with the outcome. Not much could stand up to being blasted with an attack that tears things apart on an atomic level.


	8. Chapter 8: Taking Flight

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 8: Taking Flight

The next morning, Infernus led Harry to a high balcony overlooking the forest floor. The view was a thing of absolute beauty.

"Well, it seems you've already begun having an influence upon our world, Harry," said Infernus.

"I hope Dumbledore will be able to help in the future," said Harry, "and I hope I made the right choice".

"The Portal Masters can choose who and what is allowed through," said Infernus, "this Realm will still be safe".

"Maybe, but I'm not sure I'm ready to fully trust Dumbledore yet," said Harry.

"As expected," said Infernus, "give it time, young dragon, his true endgame will be revealed eventually. Now then, it is time for a lesson I believe you will enjoy. It's time to learn to put those wings of yours to use. It is time for you to learn to fly".

Harry broke into an excited grin at that statement. He loved flying on his broomstick, but to take to the skies under his own power? This was going to be great!

"Now then Harry," said Infernus, "Let us begin. Feel the power gifted to you by the ancestors coursing through your body. In times of crisis they will come to you and teach you… unlocking powers you never knew you had!"

Harry took a deep breath, and he could feel it, powerful spirits of the past surrounding me. Their might was his might, their wisdom coursed through him.

"Let them guide you," said Infernus, "allow them to show you that which in the depths if your soul you already know: You can fly!"

Harry realized he could no longer feel the ground under his feet. He opened his eyes, and realized he'd done it, he was flying!

"Excellent, young dragon!" said Infernus, "now let's get to your practice drills".

Infernus swiftly pushed off joining Harry in flight.

"Let's begin," said Infernus.

The pair of them began the fight drills, starting with basic maneuvering, before transitioning into more complex concepts. It reminded Harry of Quidditch practice in many ways. They dived and weaved between the trees of the forest, climbing and diving as they made their way. They burst into clearing near the base of a mountain, where Infernus suddenly pulled into an Innelman turn. Harry countered with a Split-S, and soon they were back into the forest. Infernus started climbing sharply with Harry close behind, both of them flapping harder as they lost airspeed. The climb continued, and they burst through a cloud, and as Harry looked around he realized just how high they'd flown. The forest below looked like matchsticks.

Infernus favored him with a massive grin, and then tucked his wings in a dive. Harry followed his lead, picking up more and more speed as he dropped. As the ground rushed closer, he changed course like pulling off a Wronski Feint. He flew back towards the temple, seeing Infernus awaiting him.

"Excellent flying today," said Infernus, "if I didn't know better, I'd say you've been flying for years".

"Well, I do play Seeker on one of the Quiddich teams at Hogwarts," said Harry, "while flying on a broomstick isn't the same as using you own wings…"

"Well, let's head inside," said Infernus, "You should continue your studies".

They landed, and headed off to the archives. When they arrived, Harry noticed a familiar snowy owl waiting for him.

"Hedwig!" said Harry.

His owl flew over to land in front of him, tilted her head over, and then gently nipped at him.

"It's good to see you too," said Harry, "Infernus, this is Hedwig, my first real friend".

Infernus smiled sadly, remembering that this young dragon had a rather horrid childhood.

"So, what brings you here?" asked Harry.

Hedwig held out her leg, exposing a small message tube. As Harry touched it, it detached itself and opened, and a rolled up sheet of parchment flew out, unfolding and placing itself on the table. Harry read over the letter, and quickly noted the important details.

"What have you got there?" asked Infernus.

"Dumbledore's sent us a letter on the goings on back… where I came from," said Harry, "It seems the Ministry of Magic, our government, has been running a smear campaign against both me and Dumbledore. Claiming I'm nothing but a liar, cheater, and Dark Lord in the making. For Dumbledore, they're labeling him as a senile old fool. They've manage to get him kicked from his position as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. As well, they're attempting to influence the school as well by installing one of their high-ranking members into the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor unless Dumbledore can find someone to fill the job".

"That give me an idea," said Infernus, "tell me what exactly this class entails".

"It's mostly a combination of learning about particularly dangerous creatures that are unsafe to study in person, and practicing jinxes and hexes to protect yourself," said Harry.

"I think I might know some people out there among the worlds who might fit for that position," said Infernus.

"Worlds… as in realities other than this one?" said Harry, "I thought the portals were sealed!"

"The portals to the human world were sealed," said Infernus, "though that title rather imprecise, as different albeit similar version of humans and other races exist out there in the wider Multiverse, all connected through the border world of Convexity. I think we might be able to find someone skilled and experienced enough to be your new professor at Hogwarts if we know where to look. Send Dumbledore a note to this regard, if you would".

Harry found a blank piece of parchment, and carefully clutched the pen between his claws. After a bit of practice, he got the hang of it, and soon he'd composed his letter. When he was done, he placed the message tube on top of it, as Dumbledore's letter had instructed. As Harry watched the letter was lifted up and folded itself into the tube, which then attached itself to Hedwig's leg. She gave a quick, professional nod, and took to the air, flying off back through the portal to Hogwarts.

* * *

A/N: And there we go! Next time: A view at what's going on in the Wizarding World, in particular with the Hogwarts professors. See you then!


	9. Chapter 9: Staff Meeting

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Let's see how things are going back with Albus, shall we?

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 9: Staff Meeting

Albus Dumbledore was in his office once more, lost in thought on who he might hire as DADA professor. With Voldemort's return, he couldn't spare Alastor for this job… that, and with his experience from last term, he didn't wish to be anywhere near the school right now. He checked his pocket watch, and realized it was time for the staff's yearly meeting to discuss their plans for their respective classes. Dumbledore made is way out of the castle, and down to Hogsmede, to the room the staff reserved at the Three Broomsticks for this purpose. Dumbledore waited as the Heads of House arrived. Eventually, everyone was there. Dumbledore knew anything he said would be safe here, not only due to the privacy charms, but also the fact the most of his staff were skilled Occulimens.

"It is good to see you all again," said Dumbledore, "How have your summers been going?"

"Well enough, Albus," said McGonagall, "but have you seen the things the Prophet's been printing about you?"

"I have, but it doesn't matter to me," said Dumbledore, "the fickle quill of the press can never decide whose side they're on. What about you Severus?"

"You should know," said Snape, " _he_ is back, and he's slowing rising to power again".

"Yes, but there is some good news," said Dumbledore, "The ancient doors between realms are beginning to open".

"I've heard about that," said Flitwick, "the goblins spoke of an important client visiting one of their deepest vaults".

Severus looked at the expressions of those around him and knew what they meant… his work as a spy gave him great insight into the smallest hints others give off.

"What did Potter do?" said Severus accusingly.

"Embraced an ancient legacy," said Dumbledore, "This news signals the dawning of a new era for our world. Speaking of which, I have come to realize that I have made some grave errors in my handling of situations at Hogwarts over the past couple years".

"Don't tell me you're thinking to retiring!" said McGonagall.

"Never fear Minerva, I'm not quite ready for that yet," said Dumbledore, "Instead, I have come see that our school's standards have slipped significantly. We will need to make some improvements if we are to gain back our title of 'top magical school'".

"What sort of improvements?" asked Sprout.

"Nothing too terrifying," said Dumbledore, "just better oversight of various aspects of classes. One thing of particular note is review and possible overhaul if the House Points system, as well as determining appropriate detentions".

"Such as?" asked Flitwick.

"Well, for instance," said Dumbledore, "in 1992, Minerva, you penalized 3 Gryffindor students and one Slytherin student 50 points each points for being out after curfew, and then sentenced them all to a detention in the Forbidden Forest, after curfew, when it was known there was something in the forest killing unicorns".

McGonagall had the presence of mind to look embarrassed.

"On the other hand," said Dumbledore, "Severus, you've gotten countless complaints over the years of your mistreatment of students, with reasons for point deductions ranging from not knowing answers to questions on the first day of class, to answering the questions correctly, to 'breathing too loudly'. While there are point deductions from every house other than Slytherin, there are a seemingly impossibly high number of points taken from Gryffindor, a number that's increased exponentially since September of 1991".

"It's not my fault that those dunderheads can't brew to save their own skin," said Severus.

"You see, this is the problem, Severus," said Dumbledore, "you are an excellent Potions Master, skilled at research, and truly a genius at developing new formulae… but you do not have the mindset of a teacher. You berate and insult your students at every turn, shouting at them when they make mistakes instead to explaining how to do better in the future. Don't think I haven't noticed how many less students I've seen seeking a Potions Mastery since I hired you".

"…And you know why I have to treat Slytherins preferentially," said Snape. "You-Know-Who…"

"… was surviving as a bodiless wraith until recently," said Dumbledore, "and don't throw out that _'the Dark Lord's agents were still out there'_ line. You had no reason to mistreat our students. You know as well as I do you could have simply told those that support Voldemort that it was part of your act, to keep your cover as a professor".

It was about this time the professors realized they weren't dealing with Dumbledore, the kindly old headmaster… no, they were dealing with Dumbledore, the wizard who defeated Grindlewald.

"So, I say this to you Severus," said Dumbledore, "I won't take your bullying and cruelty towards students any longer. As such, I give you an ultimatum: shape up, or you are out of the job".

Severus wanted to object, but Dumbledore gave him a look that told him to save it for later.

"What about the DADA position?" asked McGonagall.

Before Dumbledore could answer, there was a tap on the window. As they looked over, they saw a familiar snowy owl. Professor Sprout opened the widow, and Hedwig flew in, landing in front of Dumbledore and extending her leg to complete her delivery. Dumbledore looked over the letter, and smiled.

"It seems we may have a solution," said Dumbledore, "due to the gates between realms opening again, we will be able to hire from other worlds. It seems we have an even better reason to improve our standards here at Hogwarts".

"The ministry won't like that," said McGonagall.

"The Ministry doesn't control Hogwarts," said Dumbledore, "And as long as I draw breath, they won't. After all, someone from the Ministry has already tried to kill some of our students this summer".

"When was this!?" asked McGonagall.

"Only a few days ago," said Dumbledore, "In Little Whinging. Mr. Potter and Ms. Lovegood were assaulted in the park by a pack of Dementors".

"Of course it's Potter," sneered Severus, "always going out of his way to find trouble".

Dumbledore fixed his gaze upon Snape. His normally sparking blue eyes now filled with the warmth of glacial ice.

"Severus," said Dumbledore flatly, "Mr. Potter was in a public park in a Muggle suburb. There was no good reason for there to be dementors in that area. This means someone sent them to attack him. There was no way he could have expected himself to be in undue danger from simply stepping outside his Aunt's house".

"What was Ms. Lovegood doing there?" asked Flitwick, "she doesn't live anywhere near Surrey!"

"As far as I know, nobody's gotten a chance to ask. Perhaps, as her Head of House, you could speak to her about this," said Dumbledore, "In any case. I believe that is all our business for now… unless any of you have anything to add?"

Nobody spoke up.

"This meeting is adjourned," said Dumbledore.

* * *

 **A/N:** You know, writing an annoyed Dumbledore is fun. Now, the question becomes, who will be the DADA professor this time around? I have a few ideas in mind, but I can tell you this: it won't a certain pink toad. Anyway, next time, we return to the Dragon Realms, where we'll see Harry continue to learn to wield his power. See you then!


	10. Chapter 10: Awakening Lightning

**A/N:** Welcome back! Time for Harry to learn a new element, as well as a bit of knowledge from the past.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 10: Awakening Lightning

The next few days for Harry fell into a soon familiar routine: Training to properly master Fire in the mornings, followed by studies, and meditation in the afternoons. A few times, they took field trips to visit other area of the Realms, travelling to place strong in the Element of Fire such as the Kaskia Isles and the Boyzitbig Volcanic field. This also gave him the opportunity to meeting some of the other peoples of the Realms, like the Cheetahs and the Moles. After a week, the routine changed slightly. This time, it was Ampeer who led him to the training room.

"Infernus is quite pleased with your progress," said Ampeer, "He feels you are ready to begin you training in my Element: Electricity".

"Whenever you're ready, Master Ampeer," said Harry, closing his eyes, and readying for Ampeer's instructions.

"Then let us begin," said Ampeer, "A flash of lightning is born of the skies and its tempers, young dragon. You must learn to properly command your emotions if you wish to master the free spirit of Lightning".

Harry took several calming breaths, knowing he tended to be… impulsive at times. That was something he'd have to work on.

"Surrender… to its erratic nature," said Ampeer, "allow its energy to charge through your body and anticipate its movements, and then unleash it… willingly".

In Harry's mind's eye, he once again saw that violet crystal, its shape looking more angular, like someone had been working and shaping it. As well, Harry saw a stream of flames spinning around it. Then he felt it. That pulse of power that came with each beat of his heart, conducting down every nerve in his body. He could feel the charge building up, arcing through him and transmitting up his horns like a Jacob's Ladder. He knew it, He commanded it. His eye's snapped open, and Harry could see the lightning arcing around him, and unleashed it. The lightning spread out, followed by a resounding crash of thunder.

"Good work, Harry!" said Ampeer, "let's move on concentrating the power you know into a more focused state".

Harry followed Ampeer's directions as he guided him through different ways of directing the power of lightning. In the aftermath, the air with heavy with the scent of ozone, and Harry was already considering other ways he could use the power of Lightning to his advantage.

Once his training for the day was done, Harry found his way back to the archives, and was soon immersed in his studies of the past. One particularly ancient tome caught his eye. It was titled 'Accounts of War of the Dark Master' by Gneiss of Kaskia(1). As he read through it, he learned more of Spyro, the 2nd Purple Dragon from one who fought alongside him.

As Harry read through the tale, he was struck by some of the parallels between himself and Spyro. Both came into their power without understanding what they truly were, both the guardians of this ancient time and the current era had similar names, both of them had a 'saving people thing', the list went on.

The book spoke of how despite his youth, Spyro rose to the challenge and took on, and defeated, the Dark Master while he wasn't much older than Harry. According to the book, this wasn't the end.

 _We had hoped that the fall of their lord would cause the Dark Master's army to disband, but it would be for naught. Malefor's defeat led to him becoming a martyr. Those who followed him, both overtly and in secret, found new strength in seeking to avenge their fallen lord. The war raged on for years, and our allies began to grow weary of the constant conflict, claiming Spyro, if not dragonkind in general, was responsible for prolonging the war. It looked like our world was going to be torn apart once more, but Spyro had a secret. Over the years the war had raged, Spyro had been training, searching what it truly meant to be a Purple Dragon._

 _He confided in me some of what he learned, something that both amazed and worried him: more than simply being able to master any Element, the Purple Dragon is a perfect hybrid of all varieties of dragons, not just in the world we reside, but across all realities. All they had to do was learn of a particular ability wielded by some type of dragon, and practice how to utilize it._ (2) _However, as amazing as this ability was, he also worried that he could lose himself in his power, becoming the same sort of tyrant that Malefor was… if not worse._

 _While I felt his fears were largely unfounded, I was there for my friend. I accompanied him on some of his journeys… Oh, the places we've seen! Spyro studied arcane lore, learned abilities from dragons across the multiverse. We even ended up in Sigil, the fabled City of Doors, at one point. While there, he set up a bank account under the name 'Draconis' to aid any purple dragons in the future, placing a portion of his hoard there for safekeeping._

 _Given how quickly the world was falling apart, Spyro used one of the abilities he'd learned, speaking words in the Ancient Tongue, routing his foes with the power of his voice alone. With his newfound power, Spyro was able to finally bring this conflict to an end. Some cheered him for his might and wisdom. Other decried him as a going down a dark path. Other looked at him in fear, coming to realize they had no chance of defeating him._

 _With the long war finally over, those survivors of our generation, we who inherited this fight from our ancestors, could finally settle down. I was able to return home to the Kaskia Isles and begin rebuilding, and take on the role of leader left to me by my father. Spyro on the other hand kept travelling, his mate Cynder at his side. They knew their journey wasn't over, and they still had more to learn. It was years before I saw them again. Spyro and Cynder and returned home, to their world of origin, to settle down for a time for a very special reason: Cynder was soon to lay their first clutch._

 _They chose the make their lair in the Valley of Avalar, and settled in for some time to raise their Hatchlings… to give them something they truly deserved._

 _It seems that the prophecy did hold true in the end: the Purple Dragon did bring about change to the world and, while it took some time for the truth to be revealed, in the end it was a change for the better._

Harry blinked his eyes, and looked out the window: it was already late into the evening. It seems he'd been reading for longer than he'd planned. Harry reshelved the book, and headed off to have dinner.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Next time, Dumbledore and McGonagall conduct some job interviews. See you then!

 **A/N 2:** Before I leave off with a couple of footnotes. I have to speak to all of my guest reviewers. While I appreciate your support of this story, your continual spanning of the same 2 or 3 extremely long messages on every chapter is unhelpful. I understood what you were saying the first time. Please know that I'm asking to tone it down a bit, and not constantly repeat the same few things. Also know that anything you suggest may not have an immediate effect on the story, as I'm actually writing a few chapters ahead of where I'm posting, just so I have a buffer in case I don't have time to write for a bit. Thank you for taking the time to read my story, as well as taking the time to read this note.

 **Footnotes:**

 **(1)** This is a reference back to a story I've written in the past, namely The Legend of the Three. I believe that makes this story and AU of an AU.

 **(2)** This concept was inspired by the story The Saga of Spyro: The Quest for Harmony, by TyrakaReborn. While one of the fandoms involved in that story is one I have little interest in, I'd still recommend it.


	11. Chapter 11: Job Interveiws

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Let's see who's interested in working at Hogwarts, shall we?

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 11: Job interviews

Albus Dumbledore stood at just outside Hogwarts with Fawkes on his shoulder, waiting for Minerva McGonagall to arrive. He didn't have to wait long.

"Albus, you said something about meeting with applicants for DADA Professor today?" said McGonagall, "where are we meeting them?"

"The Guardians have graciously offered to allow us to use their home for these meetings," said Dumbledore, "we'll be travelling to meet with them".

"Didn't you mention at the last Order meeting that Harry's there as well?" said McGonagall.

"Indeed," said Dumbledore, "If we're lucky, we'll have time for you to meet with him as well. Though, be prepared as he looks… different than you last saw him".

McGonagall looked at him strangely, and then shrugged. Together, they stepped through the portal. A moment later, they emerged outside the dragon temple. As she got her bearings, McGonagall was momentarily worried when a large green dragon landed next to them.

"Ah Olivine, was it?" said Dumbledore, "thank you for coming to meet with us".

"You're right on time," said Olivine, "Is this one of your school's professors?"

"Yes, I would like you to meet Minerva McGonagall, professor of Transfiguration and my Deputy Headmistress," said Dumbledore.

"It's… nice to meet you?" said McGonagall.

"Likewise," said Olivine, "follow me, the temple's not far".

Olivine led the way, and soon they were at the temple. They went inside, and soon arrived at their destination. Unlike most of the temple, this area seemed to have been designed to serve humanoid visitors. It was also rather dusty.

"Apologies," said Olivine, "We're still getting this place cleaned up. This area likely hasn't been used in many years".

"It's no problem," said Dumbledore, "a few cleaning charms and it will be good as new! Minerva, shall we?"

After a few minutes of applied charms and a bit of transfiguration, the room was in good condition, with banners displaying the Hogwarts crest.

"Impressive," said Olivine, "perhaps we hire some mages to help out around here".

"That might be something to discuss in the future," said Dumbledore, "For now, we have a professor to hire".

"Very well," said Olivine, "we'll send them in".

Olivine left, and soon first applicant, Arzeon Wyrmblood arrived. He was a fairly tall man, with skin that seemed almost golden in color, brown hair and blue eyes. However, upon closer inspection his skin was covered in fine golden scales, and his ears were slightly pointed, revealing his elven heritage.

"Mr. Wyrmblood?" said Dumbledore.

"That I am," said Arzeon, "I heard you're looking for a professor to teach your students defense".

"That we are," said McGonagall, "can you tell us a bit about yourself?"

"Of course," said Arzeon, "I was born in a small town known as Silverpond Hollow. My life was quiet until that fateful night I discovered my magic".

"Discovered? What do you mean by that?" asked McGonagall.

"Well you see, I'm a Sorcerer," said Arzeon, "my magic comes from my ancestral connection to some powerful magical creature. In my case, it was a fire dragon".

"You're a Half-Dragon?" said Dumbledore.

"Not exactly," said Arzeon with a smirk, "I like to think of myself as half human, half elf, and half dragon, somehow equaling one whole".

"Our school teaches wizarding magic," said Dumbledore, "how well do you think you'll be able to adapt your knowledge?"

"From what I understand, the 'wizards' of your world have some similarities with sorcerers where I come from. Your magic comes from an inborn talent, which you hone though repeated use and memorization. The information I was given for the job also spoke of how one main part of the role DADA professor is teaching the students about various highly dangerous creatures and how to counter them. I know for a fact that _that_ is something I have plenty of experience with".

Dumbledore and McGonagall looked at each other, and made their decision. This one was a definite 'maybe'.

"Thank you Mr. Wyrmblood," said Dumbledore, "we'll let you know of our decision once we've spoke with the other applicants".

Arzeon nodded, and left the room. After a short delay, the next applicant arrived. This one was a man of average height, with black hair and strangely yellow eyes. Stranger still, the pupils were slit shaped… like those of a snake.

"Mr. Otleh?" said McGonagall.

"Yes," said Otleh with a slight hiss, "I was told you seek someone to teach your students to defend themselves from wielders of dark magic?"

Outside of a hint of amusement, there was little emotion in Otleh's words. Something about this man put both Dumbledore and McGonagall on edge.

"That covers it," said Dumbledore, "can you… tell us something about yourself?"

"I see," said Otleh, "You need not fear. I seek you no harm. My kind may be… less moral in nature than many, but that does not mean I intend anything but to teach your students to protect themselves from far worse beings than I".

"And what exactly are you?" asked McGonagall.

"I am a Yuan-Ti," said Otleh, "my people's many times ancestors made a bargain with ancient serpent gods for power. I am of the variety of my people who still looks mostly human".

"You freely admit to being naturally amoral," said Dumbledore, "why do you think you're right for this job?"

"It's a matter of perspective," said Otleh, "to my people, non Yuan-Ti are considered inferior. We are not the kind to overly go out at attack others. We prefer more subtle, cunning methods, something one of your school's founders expounded the virtues of. Speaking of which, I am fairly certain your Salazar Slythern may have been a Yuan-Ti himself".

"You mentioned that you wish to teach students of dangerous creatures," said Dumbledore, "how dangerous do you mean?"

"I am a Warlock," said Otleh, "I my world's terms that means I have made a pact with some powerful, dangerous entity. You may think me a dark mage for digging into lore on creatures that exist within and between the folds of reality, things that reside within the Dark Realms Beyond, but to truly understand and defend against what the darkness holds, you sometimes need someone who's experienced it first-hand".

Dumbledore and McGonagall glanced at each other again, and made their decision. This one was another maybe, his morals may be slightly questionable, but Dumbledore knew he was no saint either.

"Thank you for your time," said Dumbledore, "We'll let you know".

Otleh left, and after a short delay, a new person arrived. This one was the strangest yet. It was a fairly tall reptilian humanoid. His scales had a green hue to them, with long, gently curving horns atop his head, with 3 small spines on either side of his lower jaw. His light blue eyes were weighted with mystical power. However, he wasn't alone. Standing at the Lizardfolk's side was… well Dumbledore couldn't mistake what looked to be a smaller version of the legendary Tarrasque!

"Mr. Sauriv?" said Dumbledore.

"Yes, and this is Tyron," said Sauriv, "I heard you to find someone to teach your students to battle dark magic?"

"That is correct," said Dumbledore, who couldn't stop looking at the creature Sauriv had called 'Tyron', "What can you tell us about yourself?"

"Well, when I hatched among my tribe, people started looking at my sister and I oddly," said Sauriv, "at the time, I didn't know why. Long story short, the souls of the two of us had been touched by a powerful, ancient creature, infusing us with a small portion of its power. My sister had the raw, arcane might… I had Tyron. At first, I didn't know what exactly he was, thinking him to be nothing but a figment of childish imagination. Then, I realized I could call him into physical form".

"Ah, you're a Summoner!" said Dumbledore.

"Correct, and Tyron here is my Eidolon," said Sauriv, "the two of us… well no force in the multiverse could permanently separate us: we're two parts of the same soul".

"So, you have experience in challenging wielders of dark magic?" said McGonagall.

"Plenty," said Sauriv, "Tyron and I, well, we've been through experiences that could easily have destroyed those less willful us. I suppose you deserve to know about the curse we bear".

 _'_ _Oh Merlin,'_ thought Dumbledore.

"During one battle some time ago now, an evil natured Wyrm, Quamum Rune-wing, sent us adrift among the planes, unable to ever find our way back to our World of Origin. In addition, if we stay in one plane longer than a year, the death curse he place upon us catches up, and begins tearing at our very souls".

Dumbledore and McGonagall glance at each other once more, and decided this was another maybe.

"I see," said Dumbledore, "thank you for your time, we'll let you know once we've made our decision".

The applicant continued to come and go, Dumbledore and McGonagall meeting with Druids, Summoners, Wizards specializing in various schools of magic, the list went on. Eventually, they'd compiled a list of reasonable candidates for the job, and were ready to return home. But first, McGonagall wished to meet with Harry.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! To those wodering how Harry received the powers of the Purple Dragon, that will be answered eventually. Now then, to other business: I have place a poll at the top of my Profile Page. There, you can vote on which of the potential DADA professors seen in this chapter might end up teaching at Hogwarts. If you have and opinion, go ahead and vote! Next time: Harry learns of the power of Ice. See you then!


	12. Chapter 12: Awakening Ice

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter. I honestly didn't expect such a negative response to the inclusion of a character to an different setting for the role of a bit player in the story. One who would show up a couple of times, and aid Harry, as well as the other students at Hogwarts in broadening their horizons by teaching them about other types of magic. Something they wouldn't be able to do unless they had someone to teach them.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 12: Awakening Ice

Harry's studies had continued, and on this day it was Glacia who led him to the training room. He also noticed that the temple was hosting quite a few guests today. Once Harry and Glacia arrived in the training room, she got thing set up for today's lesson.

"Now then, young one," said Glacia, "you have already shown your skill in commanding fire and lightning, and that is commendable. Now, though, we come to what may be a more difficult task: you must learn to learn the opposite of those Elements as well".

"I am ready, Ma'am," said Harry.

"We shall see," said Glacia, "today, you will begin to learn to wield the antithesis of the Element of Fire. It is time you learn to use Ice".

Harry nodded, clearing his mind of the lesson like he had before.

"Fire is an Element of passion and chaos" said Glacia, "Ice, conversely is an Element of logic and order. Feel it flow through you, like the frigid winds of the highest mountain flows over your wings. Let it… expand".

Harry slowed his breath, thinking upon her words. In his mind's eye, he saw high, snow-capped peaks, glittering with beauty under the Aurora Borealis. Deep within himself, he saw the core of his magic, the violet crystal's shape now looking more worked, with both a stream of flames and a bolt of lightning orbiting it. Then he felt it: the orderly structure of ice, with the power to tear mountains apart, given enough time. He knew it, he could command it. He felt the air around him grow cold. He opened his eye, and found himself suspended amid a swirling mass of ice crystals, he remembered Glacia's words, and let the ice expand. The wave of frigid power filled the room, coating the walls with a thin layer of ice.

"Impressive, young dragon," said Glacia, "now that you have begun to comprehend the power of Ice, let us see how well you can refine it".

Glacia ran him through a series of lessons, showing him different ways to wield this power. During this time, Harry came to understand that her demeanor was at least partially due to mastery of Ice, though it didn't explain everything. Once his training for the day was done, (and the training room was sufficiently frosted over), Harry was released to his own continued studies for the day.

As he wandered the halls, he heard the familiar voice of Professor McGonagall. He came around the corner, and saw her speaking with Infernus.

"How goes you search for a new professor?" asked Infernus.

"We've narrowed it down a bit," said McGonagall, "I never expected to meet with so many different peoples on one day".

Infernus chuckled, and then replied, "Yes, I suppose you'd be experiencing rather extreme culture shock. I understand you are what is referred to in your world as an 'Animagus', correct?"

"Yes," said McGonagall, "what about it?"

"I've noticed it seems to be a lesser form of a similarly ability wielded by those from other Worlds," said Infernus, "particularly those who are followers of the Green Faith".

"Truly?" said McGonagall, "It sounds like it might be worth researching to origins of Animagi to see where and when the magic behind it was first developed".

"Of course," said Infernus, "given recent events you'll have a new student to teach how to shift forms… isn't that right, young dragon?"

McGonagall turned to look towards Harry, and looked confused for a moment before she realized who he was.

"M-Mr. Potter?" asked McGonagall.

"Hello Professor McGonagall, Master Infernus," said Harry, "sorry for interrupting".

"It is no problem, Harry," said Infernus, "I was simply having a rather engaging discussion with your professor. How did your lessons go today?"

"They went well," said Harry, "Glacia even gave me some amount of praise!"

"Then she's likely quite impressed then," said Infernus, "is there anything you might wish to know?"

"Well, this is one thing," said Harry, "can you tell me about some the other Purple Dragons?"

"You all ready know something of both Spyro and Ilren," said Infernus. "but allow me to recommend to you to study the tale of Elnos, the 10th Purple Dragon. It was during his era that the combination of magical studies and technological development came together, allowing the peoples of our world to create stable portals to allow rapid travel across the world".

"Apologies for interrupting, but I've not seen much in the way of technology here," said McGonagall.

"True enough," said Infernus, "the different peoples of the Realms use spellcraft and science in differing amount. The Moles in particular are skilled with technology, and have been for millennia. We dragons however, we largely live much as we have since ancient times. That's not to say we've ignored progress, it's more that we've had less to benefit from it".

"Thank you Infernus," said Harry, "I'll go look up the information".

Harry headed off to the archives learn about those who came before him. Meanwhile, McGonagall watched her student leave. She was struck by how different his demeanor was. She'd never seen Harry looking quite so… happy.

"It seems Mr. Potter is thriving under your tutelage," said McGonagall, "I almost hate that we need him to return to Hogwarts".

"That is the question," said Infernus, "beyond the Dark Lord whose fate is bound to his, why is in important for Harry to return to Hogwarts?"

"Unfortunately, if he doesn't the Ministry of Magic will enact a harsh punishment upon him," said McGonagall, "They will bind his magic, permanently cutting him off from his magical core".

Infernus gaped in horror at that statement.

"That's… that's absolutely barbaric!" roared Infernus.

"I agree," said McGonagall, "but I have no control over the ministry. These laws have been in place for centuries. They were first established to hide our society from those who want us dead. But the world's changed since then, and the laws haven't".

"You must understand," said Infernus, "to a dragon, magic isn't simply a tool to be wielded like it is for a wizard; it is an intrinsic part of our lifeforce. If we were deprived of access to our natural magic, there's no way we could survive".

"That said, Harry technically only needs to complete his 5th year at Hogwarts, and his Ordinary Wizarding Levels exams," said McGonagall, "The last two years at Hogwarts are actually intended as advanced study years, though most jobs to look at you better if you complete all seven years".

"Though, that leaves the question whether young Harry chooses to remain in your world or not," said Infernus, "that is something our mutual student will need to decide for himself".

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Next time, we see what's going on back in the Wizarding World, in particular with the Order of the Phoenix. See you then!


	13. Chapter 13: 12 Grimmalud Place

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Let's see what's going on with the Order of the Phoenix shall we? Also I wasn't attempting to make any digs at anyone in the previous chapter. As I've mentioned before, these chapters are written at least a few weeks before they're posted, to both make sure I have a buffer in case something happens that prevents me from writing, as well as giving me time to edit.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 13: #12 Grimmauld Place

With their interviews complete, Dumbledore and McGonagall returned to their native world. They soon went their separate ways, McGonagall to sort through the pile of applications, and Dumbledore to the Black Family Manor at #12 Grimmauld Place. Once inside, He found the members of the Order of the Phoenix gathered for a meeting, with Hermione Granger and the younger members of the Weasley family off to the side, looking unhappy.

"Ah, Ms. Granger," said Dumbledore, "what seems to be the problem?"

"Oh! Hello Headmaster," said Hermione, "it's nothing you should worry about, it's just…"

"I can't believe Harry's not responded to any of our letter!" said Ron, "I guess the _champion_ is too important to speak with us!"

"Oh, dear… I forgot about that," said Dumbledore, "Mr. Weasley, I've spoken with Mr. Potter recently. It seems that someone within the ministry is acting against him and blocking him from receiving mail".

"What? But… they're the government!" said Hermione, "why would they want to harm Harry?"

"Because, Ms. Granger, at the end of the last school year, Harry revealed some truths that those in power are going out of their way to deny. Mr. Potter spoke with his account manager at Gringotts and the detected that someone's placed a mail redirection spell upon him. As such, he hasn't been receiving his mail. I've only recently managed to bypass it, and only for Harry's own Hedwig".

"But… what's been going on then?" asked Hermione, "Is Harry in danger?"

"Less so than he had been previously," said Dumbledore, "what exactly did you overhear?"

Hermione realized she'd been caught, and looked worried at how Dumbledore might react. However, he only chuckled.

"Don't looked so shocked," said Dumbledore, "It's only natural you would be interested in learning what might be going on with your friend. To simplify, Harry was assaulted in a park near his home by a group of Dementors, but managed to drive them back with a burst of accidental magic. He went to what to him was a safe place: Diagon Alley. Upon visiting Gringotts, he learned that someone was acting against him. But he also discovered he'd come into a magical creature inheritance".

"Creature inheritance!?" said Hermione, "is that even possible?"

"Quite possible, Ms. Granger," said Dumbledore, "while most 'purebloods' will deny it, many ancient wizarding families have creature blood, and sometimes it manifests more directly".

"You got that right," said Sirius, stepping into the room, "The Blacks, for instance, have Metamorph blood, just look at Nymphadora Tonks, she my cousin's daughter. James never mentioned anything about what sort of creature blood ran through his family's veins. So, what mischief has Prongslet gotten himself into?"

"Sirius, the doors between Realms have begun to open," said Dumbledore, "I am fairly certain this power Harry has inherited is not related to our realm or the Potter family".

Sirius' expression changed, looking far more, well, serious.

"Where is he," said Sirius, "don't try and deflect. Where is my godson?"

"The Dragon Realms," said Dumbledore, "he's currently being trained to wield his power".

Sirius's expression changed again, now looking more excited than ever.

"I knew Harry was something special!" said Sirius, "I just didn't think it was something like that!"

"Um… what are you even talking about?" asked Hermione.

"H-Hermione," said Ron, "They just said that Harry's currently in another reality entirely".

"Is that even possible?" said Hermione, "I'm sure I'd have read about if it was".

"Hermione, some things aren't as well recorded, just because they haven't been done in a very long time," asked Ron, "Hermione, you really are brilliant, but you still sometimes forget that magic doesn't follow the same rules as muggle science. Many wizards like to keep information to themselves, rather than share it.".

"Mr. Weasley, perhaps you can help Ms. Granger to better understand about the wider Multiverse. I must speak with the Order".

"Sure, professor," said Ron, "Hey Sirius, do would want to help?"

"I'd love to, but I need to speak with Dumbledore," said Sirus, "I'll grant you access to my library. I can set the wards there to allow you to retrieve the relevant books. Just remember, if the book doesn't seem to want to come off the shelf, it's something too dangerous for you to read".

"Thanks Sirius!" said Ron, "Come on Hermione, It's my turn to teach you something".

As Hermione went off to the library with the Weasley children, Dumbledore and Sirius joined the other members of the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore quickly called the meeting to order.

"I am glad to see you all here today," said Dumbledore, "does anyone have anything to report?"

"You already know how the ministry is acting," said Tonks, "too busy burying their heads in the sand to do anything worthwhile".

"The werewolf packs are still undecided on how to act," said Remus, "well, with the exception of Fenrir Greyback and his followers. You already know whose side they're on".

"I've spoken to some of my old contacts to see who might have sent those dementors after Potter," said Moody, "from what I can work out, it was probably Delores Umbridge, the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. I'd call her a toady, but that's an insult to toads".

"Good work," said Dumbledore, "I have been looking into information on how Voldemort might have avoided death and come up with a likely theory: Horcruxes".

Those few at the table who recognized that word looked grim at that statement.

"I knew he'd delved into some dark magic but something like that?" said Moody, "how many?"

"I suspect there are six remaining," said Dumbledore, "I know one has already been destroyed, now comes the issue of locating and eliminating the rest of them".

"Yes… that makes sense," said Snape, "most likely he made them from artifacts important to him".

Their conversation was interrupted by a popping sound as Kreature, the Black family's House Elf appeared.

"You want destroy bad wizard's creations?" asked Kreature.

"Do you know anything about them, Kreature?" asked Sirius.

"Good Master Regulus ask me to hide it," said Kreature, "took it away from bad wizard! Kreature tried to destroy, like Good Master asked, but Kreature couldn't!"

"Could you bring it to us Kreature?" asked Dumbledore, "we will find a way to destroy it for you".

Kreature grinned, and then vanished. A moment later, he returned holding a locket. As Dumbledore examined it, his eyes went wide.

"By Merlin, that's the locket of Salazar Slytherin!" said Dumbledore, "It's long been believed to have been lost to the ages! If Voldemort made this into a Horcrux…"

Dumbledore cast a detection spell at the locket, and discovered it stank of the darkest magics.

"Thank you Kreature," said Dumbledore, "however, I believe that more items like this exist. With a bit of effort, we could likely use this Horcrux to locate the others, after which we can destroy this one as well!"

"Old Wizard promise to destroy?" asked Kreature.

"I swear on my life and magic, that once the other Horcruxes created by Voldemort are destroyed, I will insure that this one is as well," said Dumbledore.

Kreature looked gleeful, and handed over the locket. Dumbledore swiftly placed it into a box, and considered how to handle this new information.

"Severus, perhaps you could ask around to see if Voldemort entrusted anything in particular to his followers. We already know he gave one to Lucius Malfoy, so there's a possibility he might have hidden another of his Horcruxes in a similar way. I'm sure you don't need be to tell you, but be discreet".

"Of course, what do you take me for, some dunderheaded student?" said Snape.

"Good, be careful," said Dumbledore, "now, does anyone have anything to add?"

Nobody spoke up.

"Very well, this meeting is adjourned," said Dumbledore.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! I've not actually bashing any of Harry friends here, just pointing to their flaws, such as Hermione tends to overanalyze at times. Ron, on the other hand, I don't think he actually not smart, just unmotivated. After all, he has 5 older brothers who have already done so much and achieved some rather high accolades. Ron is show in canon to be rather good a chess, therefore he has good tactical skill, and knows how to outthink his opponent. I think, that given proper motivation and the chance to stand on his own, he'd be able to show what he's truly capable of. Being a pureblood wizard, Ron would be privy to knowledge that Hermione, who didn't gown up within wizarding society, wouldn't know. Anyway, next time: Harry learns to wield the Element of Earth... and meets someone vary special. See you then.


	14. Chapter 14: Awakening Earth

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! time for Harry to learn to wield the power of Earth!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 14: Awakening Earth

Harry was once again led to the training room, with Olivine leading the way this time. Harry knew this was likely the last time he'd see this place for a while, as Hogwarts would begin its next term soon. Olivine got the room set up, and Harry prepared for his lesson. Olivine took his position, and cleared his throat.

"As Glacia has already told you, each Element exists in balance with another, its equal and opposite," said Olivine, "Lightning courses through the Air, flowing freely. Now, you must learn to wield its opposite, the solid might of Earth. You have learned much already in your time here in the Realms, drawn upon this path by fate. Let the might of Earth and nature anchor you, feel the path it shows you".

Harry slowed his breathing, extending his will towards the ground beneath his feet. He could feel it, the stone he stood upon, the soil and rock beneath, the virtually imperceptible vibrations of the continual tectonic activity of the world. It was like the heartbeat of the planet itself, and he could call upon its might. The power to move mountains or even to sunder continents. Harry remembered overhearing a science program about earthquakes while staying at the Dursleys, and knew just how mighty this power could be.

Within his own core, he could see the violet crystal, with streams of fire, arc of lightning, and waves of icy wind swirling around it. He felt himself rising up, enrobed by the power he was channeling. His eyes snapped open, and he saw the waves of emerald green energy swirling around him. He drew it inwards, and then released. He dropped, slamming into the ground with great force, sending shockwaves which buckled the stone of the floor briefly before it returned to normal. As he looked over at Olivine, he caught a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Excellent work, Young Dragon," said Olivine, "now that you have learned the channel the power of Earth, now it you must practice refining it".

The training continued with Harry learning to command the might of Earth in both offensive and defensive applications. Calling forth shields of stone and then shattering them into his foes, launching concentrated pulses of energy like a muggle shotgun, extending a sphere on energy on a streamer of power so that it could be swung around like a flail, the list went on.

Next, Olivine had him practice perceiving his surroundings without using his normal senses, but rather through the miniscule vibrations and differences in density caused by different materials and the presence of others around him. As Harry extended his perception in this manner, feeling the ground beneath him, the statue concealed beneath to floor, and the presence of Olivine at the edge of the room. It was strange, 'seeing' without seeing. While he was only getting rough shapes for now, Harry could understand how useful it would be to know exactly was around you even when your eye couldn't.

Eventually, they ended training for the day. Harry eventually found his way to the archives once more, looking for something that might be of interest. He spotted a book titled 'Origins of Purple Dragons: A Thesis on the Power We Hold' By Vaerath, the 21st Purple Dragon. As Harry saw this, couldn't help himself: he had to know.

* * *

 _There have been many theories over the centuries on how and why the power of the Purple Dragon first came about. To what purpose would Fate and the Ancestors gift a single entity so much power? Why is it we are irrevocably drawn towards points of Destiny? It is my theory that in is our role to act as a balancing force, pushing the world we reside in away from destruction. Usually, that entails fighting the forces of evil, as they are the kind far more likely to seek harm upon the worlds, though sometimes a push in the opposite direction is what's needed._

 _The other question involves where we come from. While many Purple Dragons have come from this Realm, some, including myself, have not. Yet, I found myself drawn to this Realm, where the legend originates from. Is it possible that something about this place calls out to us, so that we may better understand the destiny we have inherited? So far, nothing I've been able to detect with any ability or spell I know of points towards any specific compulsion towards this effect. It may be that this trait is buried deeper than can be properly detected._

 _Another aspect to consider is that conflict and trouble seems to seek out our kind. The tides of fates seem to enjoy throwing challenges in our paths, no matter how much we may wish to avoid finding conflict. For example, my own experience with an evil natured dragon calling himself Xyndriem the Pure, who sought destruction and domination over my home plane. Every time it seem like we'd put him and his followers down, the crawled out of the dark some time after. Beyond that…_

* * *

Harry's attention was pulled from his reading as Infernus entered the room.

"Ah, I expected I'd find you here," said Infernus, "It's good to see you keeping up with your studies. However, I've going to have to interrupt you for now".

"Why? What's going on?" asked Harry.

"We have guest, Young Dragon," said Infernus, "a very special guest".

Harry returned the book to the shelf, and moved to follow Infernus. The pair headed down the hall, and arrived at the main meeting area next to the Pool of Visions. There, Harry saw him. He was larger than the Guardians, and Harry could feel the raw _power_ rolling off of him, despite the aura of calm he exuded. The most noticeable thing about this new arrival at the temple was his vibrant, purple scales. Harry's eyes went wide. There was only one possibility.

"Young One," said Infernus, "I would like you to meet Vaerath, the 21st Purple Dragon".

"Greetings, Young Dragon," said Vaerath, "We have much to discuss".

* * *

 **A/N:** Surprise! That's right, There's another Purple Dragon around. As I said before in most fiction, regardless of setting, dragon tend to be depicted as possessing, among other things, extremely long lifespans. Now the question will be, what will Vaerath teach Harry? I guess you'll find out in the future!


	15. Chapter 15: Vaerath

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Let's see what Vaerath, the 21st Purple Dragon, has to show Harry, shall we?

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 15: Vaerath

Harry was stunned into silence: before him was another living, breathing Purple Dragon. There was another who lived who was like him. Eventually, he found his voice again. The Guardians stepped out to allow the two of them to speak privately.

"I expect we do," said Harry, "It's… well, I didn't expect…"

"To meet another like yourself?" said Vaerath, "yes, I know that feeling… I thought the same thing back when I was your age".

"What do you want to discuss?" asked Harry.

"I've heard tell that you do not originate from this realm," said Vaerath.

"According to your own writings, neither are you," replied Harry.

Vaerath smiled, and then replied, "True enough, I'm glad you've been listening to the Guardians advice and keeping up your studies. Yes. Both of us originally from other worlds, but because of our shared power, we are also tied to this Realm".

"There's something I have been wondering," said Harry, "How exactly did I receive this power? I have no idea how I might have been granted it!"

"From what I know the power we both wield isn't inherited across familial lines, at least as far as any can tell, but instead gifted to those who Fate or the Ancestors have chosen as worthy, so long as they possess some amount of draconic blood" said Vaerath, "Something about you must have caught their eyes. Perhaps you already have some ideas on this?"

"Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster at the school I attend, told me of a prophecy," said Harry, "apparently I'm destined to fight the Dark Lord Voldemort".

"The cycle of conflict continues," said Vaerath with a sigh, "Young Harry, there's always another 'Dark Lord' seeking to cause difficulties for the world. Most likely this Dark Lord you speak of is only a symptom of a larger problem".

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"There are multiple possibilities," said Vaerath, "One is the simple fact that no one exists within a void, there were likely aspects within your world which led this 'Voldemort' to become the way he did. This leads us to the other point. Such people as the one you speak of usually only can become a threat either by being persuasive enough to garner followers, or having the intelligence to manipulate their way to the top. In both cases, their defeat will leave those who supported them behind, and how they react to their lord's defeat will likely lead to further conflicts".

"I read about that possibility," said Harry, "it was in a book speaking of Spyro".

"Ah, the tales of the 2nd!" said Vaerath, "a true hero if there ever was one. Yes, I've seen that tale too, an excellent example of how easily events can turn for the worse, even in moments of seeming victory. This is a series of events that have played out many times across history".

"Then how can I prevent this?" asked Harry.

"Unfortunately, I have no good answer for you," said Vaerath, "predicting how supporters of such beings will react is no easy feat. You likely know more about how the people of your world react to Voldemort's followers might react than I".

"I guess I'll work it out in time," said Harry with a sigh.

"Fear not, young one," said Vaerath, "always remember that you are not alone. You have those who would fight at your side, the knowledge of the Ancestors, and of course the mutual power that flows through all Purple Dragons".

"You mean Aether?" said Harry, "or may our other abilities?"

"Both, in a way," said Vaerath, "Aether can do great, and sometime terrible things. Its power has been wielded across the ages to reshape the Realms more than once. The other aspect, our ability to imitate the abilities of other varieties of dragons is also quite potent. For example, if you were to encounter a Hydra, you'd gain its regenerative capabilities, and as long as your heart and brain remained intact, you'd survive any damage".

"Whoa, that's amazing!" said Harry.

"Indeed, though it still hurts terribly," said Vaerath, "of course from what I've heard of your world, this aspect of our powers will be less relevant to you. Luckily, you do have the advantage of also being a mage. While dragons across many worlds can wield magic, not all choose to pursue this knowledge. I recommend you keep up your studies with that was well".

"I will be returning to the school I've been attending for four years now," said Harry.

"That's a good start, but you should also do extra-curricular studies," said Vaerath, "Come, allow me to show you what I mean".

Vaerath led him down the hall, arriving at a familiar training room.

"You may wish to stand back, young dragon," said Vaerath.

Harry stood in the 'safe zone' where the Guardians had during his lessons, and watched as Vaerath show him what he would one day be able to do.

The training dummies appeared, and Harry could feel the barely restrained arcane energies in the air. The dummies charged in, but Vaerath simply pointed a single claw at them, and then made a swiping motion at empty air. A wave of energy shot towards the dummies, swiftly cutting them down. More dummies appeared, these ones much larger. Vaerath pointed at them, and a pulse of magic struck each dummy. Vaerath then brought the claws of the same forepaw together slowly, squeezing an orb of magic in his palm. As Harry watched, the dummies began shrinking in size, eventually diminishing to the size of mice, followed by Vaerath crushing them all with a single strike of his tail.

Another wave of dummies appeared, followed by Vaerath gesturing upwards, and the dummies went flying upwards, like the gravity had been inverted. He then gestured downwards, sending the dummies into the ground once more.

When the dust settled, all the dummies had been demolished. In all, Vaerath had destroyed all three waves of dummies in less than 30 seconds. He hadn't even used a single elemental attack.

"You see? A bit of clever spell choice goes a long way towards victory," said Vaerath.

"I get your point," said Harry, "I better get studying. But what about Aether?"

"That is a tricky thing to speak of, as no two Purple Dragon channel the Aether quite the same way," said Vaerath, "I can tell you this; sometime one must pass through the darkness to appreciate and understand the light. The darker side of Aether is easier to tap into, but more difficult to rein in once you've unleashed it. To truly use Aether to its fullest, you need to find you own path to proper internal balance".

"Can you show me how to achieve such a balance?" asked Harry.

"Hmm… that is something that I may be able to aid you with that some time in the future," said Vaerath, "Now then, I've kept you long enough. I'm sure the Guardians are waiting with bated breath to speak to you".

With that the two of the set off once more, towards whatever laid ahead.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Some of you will wonder 'Why didn't Vaerath use any elemental spell?' The answer is simple. I didn't want to have confusion on what a dragon's elemental attacks and spells are, so I had him specifically use non-elemental spells in this chapter. Anyway next time: Harry's time in the Dragon Realms draws to a close, for now at least. It's time for him head back, time for him to return to the Wizarding World. See you them.


	16. Chapter 16:Return to the Wizarding World

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Its time for Harry to return to the Wizarding World.

To Guest Reviewers: I am currently not interested in taking story challenges. Also, I've never played FFXIV, so I wouldn't be able to do it justice. As to Gold Digger, I am somewhat familiar with it, but my past experiences involving it have left a bad taste in my mouth. Long story short, a person in my RPG group was developing an RPG based off the comic, and had us playtest it. This person, it turned out, was a complete troll, refused to give even the slightest clue on where we should go, somehow both railroad us while also leaving us to wander aimlessly. They even had the audacity to tell us when we finished the adventure 'You guys got the _bad_ ending'. This person then left the RPG group, and we've never seen them since. So, as a result, I have no interest in looking at Gold Digger again. Thank you for taking you time to ask about story ideas and leaving your reviews.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 16: Return to the Wizarding World

It was time. The beginning of the next term at Hogwarts was due to start soon. It was time for Harry to return to his World of Origin and continue his education there. Harry, Vaerath, and the Guardians all gathered near the portal that would allow Harry to head back to the Wizarding World. Harry glanced back towards the temple longingly, part of him wanted to remain here, but he knew he needed to stop Voldemort.

"Well, I guess this is it," said Harry.

"Yes, it is time of us to part ways for now," said Infernus, "but fear not, Young Dragon. You are always welcome back here".

"Indeed! It would be untenable for any to try and separate you from this place in a permanent manner," said Ampeer.

"You have shown decent aptitude in what we have taught you," said Glacia, "I know you will certainly leave your mark upon this age".

"Your spirit is strong young dragon," said Olivine, "you have been tempered by your experiences and come out intact. Let that strength guide you along the road ahead".

"Even though we've only known each other for a short time, I can say glad to call you kin though the mutual power we share," said Vaerath, "I am sure we will be seeing each other again, Harry".

"Thank you, all of you," said Harry, "I'm glad to have had the experience of learning from you".

"And I think I speak for all of us when I say we are honored to have had the experience to teach you," said Infernus, "Now then, you better get on your way. You don't want to be late".

Harry nodded, and with a last glance at the Dragon Realms stepped through the portal. The journey was much smoother than the last one, and Harry could see beyond the tunnel of energies he was passing through to what lay beyond. He saw what could best defined as flat sheets. Slowly rippling and wavering. However, they were also curved, like he was glimpsing the edge of an immense sphere. As the journey continued, he spotted brief glimpses of other places. A weather-beaten lighthouse sitting on the edge of a cliff with nothing but an infinite void below. Two massive fleets of spaceships, like those he'd seen on shows Dudley watched sometimes, sending volleys of weaponry streaking toward each other. An old white-scaled dragon resting atop a massive mountain, just as this scene faded Harry swore that the dragon was looking right at him.

* * *

Eventually, Harry emerged from the far side of the portal, into a clearing within the Forbidden Forest. Over the tops of the trees, Harry could make out the towers of Hogwarts. He was back. He also wasn't along in the clearing. Waiting for him were Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall.

"Welcome back Mr. Potter," said Dumbledore, "I trust you've had an enjoyable summer?"

"Well enough sir," said Harry, "What's been going on in my absence?"

"Straight to the point then," said Dumbledore, "As I mentioned in my letter, The Ministry is running a smear campaign against both of us. They planned to install one of Fudge's top aides as our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, something I was all to glad to block. However, this will still be interfering in our affairs: instead, they have assigned Delores Umbrage as 'educational advisor'. Inquisitor would be a more proper term. They're giving her undefined authority to do as she sees fit to 'uphold the values of our society', which is to say the Ministry's authority. Based off evidence I've gather through my contacts, she may also have been the one to send those Dementors after you".

"Then what can we do?" asked Harry.

"As much as I don't like it, we don't have much of a choice in the matter, we'll need to put up with her presence," said Dumbledore, "However, there is something I can do for you. I promised I would aid you how I could. Normally, I wouldn't ask this of someone as young as you, but you've shown yourself to be sufficiently mature to handle it".

"What are you talking about?" asked Harry.

"I would like to induct you into the Order of the Phoenix," said Dumbledore, "It is a group of individuals dedicated to preserving peace in the Wizarding World, and battling Voldemort and his servants".

"Thank you Professor," said Harry, "so, what now?"

"Now, we take you to our headquarters, which also happens to be Sirius' home," said Dumbledore, "We shall apperate there".

"Let's go then," said Harry.

"Very well," said Dumbledore, "Hold on Harry, this isn't the most pleasant method of travel".

Dumbledore grasped Harry firmly on the back of his neck, and a moment later they vanished with a pop. The next thing Harry knew, they were standing along a street in what appeared to be a muggle neighborhood. However, Harry didn't see anyone around. He let out a sigh of relief, as he knew there'd be trouble if someone saw him like this.

"Now then, please read this Harry," said Dumbledore, holding out a piece of paper.

Has Harry looked at it, he saw it said 'The Order of the Phoenix is at #12 Grimmauld Place'. For a moment Harry was confused, but then he blinked in confusion at a old manor house that he sure wasn't there a moment ago. Dumbledore led him inside, with McGonagall taking up the rear. Once inside, Harry could immediately tell this was not a pleasant place. Everything in the house felt stained with some unseen darkness.

 _'_ _No, remember the stories telling of Cynder,'_ thought Harry, _'Dark doesn't always mean evil'._

As the door closed behind them, Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a rather unfriendly voice.

"Mudbloods, Traitors, and Beasts!" shrieked the voice, "Impure _things_ staining the purity of our ancient home!"

Harry soon spotted the source: a painting on the wall, animated, much like those at Hogwarts… only much more rude.

"Oh would you be silent mother?" said Sirius as he entered the room.

Sirius quickly cast a _silencio_ , and drew a set of curtains over the painting.

"Albus, I see you're right on time," said Sirius, "and that means your scaly companion must be my godson!"

"Indeed it is," said Dumbledore, "Mr. Potter has had quite an interesting summer".

"Sirius, it's good to see you," said Harry.

"The same to you Harry," said Sirus, "come on, let's get you settled, and you can tell me what sort of mischief you've been getting up to".

Sirius led him upstairs, and into a room decorated in the silver and green colors of Slytherin.

"This was my brother's room," said Sirus, "Regilus and I... we drifted apart once we started at Hogwarts, at least partially due to our different houses. So tell me, how was your summer?"

"much better once I was away from Durzkaban," said Harry, "what happened to them once I left?"

"From what I heard Dumbledore had a firm conversation with them," said Sirus, "Luckily, I doubt you'll need to go back there, especially since this new part of yourself you've uncovered is a bit hard to hide".

Harry couldn't help but smile at that.

"So, tell me, what have you been getting up to between slaying dementors to protect fair maidens?" asked Sirius.

And so Harry told Sirius of his experiences in the Dragon Realms: Meeting the Guardians, training in the four base elements. Visiting other regions, learning to fly under his own power, and of course meeting Vaerath. By the end, Harry could see Sirius was even more excited.

"You've got to take me with you for a future visit," said Sirius, "I'm tired of being cooped up in this house".

"You're taking this surprisingly well," said Harry.

"James asked me to be your godfather," said Sirius, "I wouldn't care if you were a werecreature, Fae changeling, or giant monster; you're still my godson".

Their conversation was interrupted by knock on the door.

"Sirius," Harry heard Ron say, "I thought I heard Harry. Is he here yet?"

"He is," said Sairius, "but I'm not sure..."

"They can come in," said Harry, "They'd learn what I've become eventually, anyway".

The door open, and Ron walked in followed by Hermione. Their eyes went wide as the observed Harry lying there, smirking at them.

"H-Harry?" asked Hermione.

"It's me Hermione," said Harry, "how are you doing?"

"Bloody hell mate," said Ron, "you don't do anything halfway, do you?"

"I guess not," said Harry, "but seriously, it's good to see you, both of you".

"B-but you're a dragon!" said Hermione.

"Yes," said Harry, putting on his most menacing voice, "My armor is like ten-fold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail is like a thunderbolt, my wings bring a hurricane, and my breath is death!"

Hermione tried her best to keep a straight face before breaking down in laughter, something Harry joined her in a moment later.

"Really Harry," asked Hermione once she recovered, "quoting Smaug?"

"I thought you'd enjoy it. I've seen you reading the book in your spare time." said Harry, "anyway, how has your summer been?"

"Pretty quiet, really," said Ron, "Mum said we should stay here, it's 'safer', I'm sure their hiding something from us".

"They probably don't want to worry you, or have you get involved any more than you already have," said Harry, "I mean, she cares about you and wants to keep safe as long as possible".

"Well said Harry," said Remus as he entered as well, "I have to say, that's a good look for you, Harry. Just remember, no flying in the house".

They continued conversing late into the night, and as much as he missed the Dragon Realms, it was good to be back with his friends.

* * *

 **A/N:** Welcome back Harry, you still have a long road ahead of you, but for now you're among friends and family. Before anyone asks, Harry quoting Smaug was noting more than him messing around with Hermione, and not a sign of anything else.


	17. Chapter 17: A Day in Diagon

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! This time: Banking, Shopping, Excitement!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 17: A Day in Diagon

The next morning was a flurry of activity, starting with Sirius and Professor McGonagall taking Harry aside for a quick lesson in Animagus transformation.

"Now then Mr. Potter," said McGonagall, "normally Animagus training begins with begins with searching within yourself to find the form that resonates with you, through the combination of a special potion and meditation. However, as you've already found your form we can bypass that step. We also have the additional detail that usually the form one takes is not a magical creature".

"I guess that proves just how great Harry is," said Sirius, "now, as to changing back, you need to concentrate on your human form, down to the smallest detail. Don't worry; it's not as hard as it sounds. Once you have this in mind, you guide your magic to actually induce the change".

Harry did as he was told, remembering each and every detail of his human form. He felt his magic flowing around him, and his form began to change. Before long, the transformation was complete. Harry Potter the human wizard was now standing in within #12 Grimmauld Place, wearing the same clothes he had been upon first stepping through the portal. He took a moment to readjust to his human form. Within, he could still feel the power of his draconic self, ready to be unleashed when he needed it.

"Excellent Mr. Potter," said McGonagall, "How are you feeling?"

"A bit off balance," said Harry, "and somewhat drained as well".

"Not unexpected," said McGonagall, "you're still inexperienced with Animagus transformation, but it gets easier with practice".

"Good to know," said Harry, "what's next?"

"We should head to Diagon Alley," said McGonagall, "You still need to pick up you schoolbooks for this coming term".

One apparition later, Harry and Professor McGonagall arrived in Diagon Alley. Their first stop was Gringotts. Inside, the goblins were quite pleased to see Harry again.

"Ah, welcome Heir Potter," said the goblin, "what can Gringotts and the goblin nation do for you today?"

"I would like to access my trust vault," said Harry, "I'm just shopping for the coming school term".

"Very well," said the goblin, "Griphook!"

A familiar goblin stepped over, and led them off to the carts down to the vaults. After many twists and turns, they arrived in front of Harry's Trust Vault. He collected the money for his books and supplies for the coming term.

"Is there any other business today?" asked Griphook.

"Perhaps," said Harry, "would it be possible to view the vault of House Draconis?"

Griphook blinked at him for a moment, before collecting himself.

"Of course," said Griphook, "we have been informed of you new status, Heir Draconis. Please note that you until you achieve majority and Headship, you are restricted in what you may remove from the vault".

They boarded the cart again, and raced down the tracks once more. They eventually arrived in front of a much more ornate vault door, decorated with images of dragons and the symbols of the elements.

"You heir ring acts as the key," said Griphook, "simply place for hand upon the door, and it will unlock for you".

Harry did just that, and he felt a surge of magic, followed by the locks opening. The door ground open, and before him was a sight that made his jaw drop. Mountains of gold, jewels, books, and artifacts of all descriptions, more treasure than he ever imagined could exist, stretching as far as the eye could see. It was the collective hoards of all who held the role the Purple Dragon before him.

Harry stepped back, and let the door close again. He wordlessly boarded the cart, followed by McGonagall and Griphook. They rode back up to the surface, and prepared to leave the bank.

"Thank you Griphook," said Harry, "I very much appreciate you help today, just like the first time I came here".

"I'm surprised you remember me, Mr. Potter," said Griphook, "most wizards don't take the time to learn our names".

"Rather rude of them," said Harry, "anyway thank you again".

Harry and McGonagall continued on their way, heading off the Flourish and Blotts. Harry collected the required books for his next term, including _The_ _Standard Book of Spells Year 5_ , _Wild and Wondrous Flora: A guide to identifying magical plants_ , and _Fairly Potent Potions_. He also collected some additional books on various less commonly practiced spells, as Vaerath had recommended. He took his selection to the counter, and finished his purchase, and moved on to the next store.

The rest of the day went smoothly, with Harry collecting fresh ingredients for potions, as well as new quills and inkwells. Eventually, their shopping was done, and they returned to Grimmauld Place.

"Thank for accompanying me today, Professor McGonagall," said Harry.

"You're quite welcome, Mr. Potter," said McGonagall.

Harry headed up to his room to put away his purchases, and was soon interrupted by Sirius. He'd managed to get himself cleaned up a bit more, but still more the scars of his time in Azkaban.

"Hey, pup," said Sirius, "got everything you need?"

"Of course," said Harry, "Professor McGonagall made sure I did".

"Good, she's always looked out for those under her banner," said Sirius, "I mean, we Marauders probably caused her enough trouble for all nine of her Animagus form's lives, but she was still always there for us. Anyway, I've got something to show you".

"What is it?" asked Harry.

"Oh, you'll see," said Sirius, "Don't worry, I think you'll like this".

Harry followed Sirius downstairs, and into a basement room. Soon, they arrived in a room with targets and training dummies scattered about.

"We found the door to this room while cleaning up this old place," said Sirius, "I knew we had a training and dueling room around here somewhere, but I couldn't remember where it was".

"You could remember the layout of your ancestral home?" asked Sirius.

"Well, Azkaban isn't exactly good for the mind," said Sirius, "But, here it is".

"Thanks Sirius," said Harry, "I'm sure we'll be able to use it!"

"I'm glad you like it," said Sirius, "hopefully this helps make up for all the birthdays I missed".

"You don't have anything to make up for, Sirius," said Harry, "just having you around is enough".

They made their way back upstairs to join the others in the house for dinner, and Harry knew he was truly among people who cared for him.

* * *

 **A/N:** Yeah, sort of a filler chapter, but sometimes a bit of a bridge is needed. Anyway, next time: its time to return to Hogwarts, All Aboard!


	18. Chapter 18: All Aboard

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 18: All Aboard

The last few days before the Hogwarts Express was due to depart passed quickly, and soon enough Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys were on their way to the station. They passed through the barrier to platform 9¾ without difficulty. They boarded the train, and after a short time they were underway. As they left the city and entered the countryside, they got to talking about various things.

"So Harry," said Hermione, "tell me more about jumping between dimensions".

"Well, I'm not that experienced with it yet, as I've only done it twice," said Harry, "where'd you learn about that, anyway?"

"When she learned it was even possible, she insisted that I teach her more," said Ron, "I told her about it, using the book's in Sirius' library to help her understand".

"Who are you and what have you done with Ron Weasley?" asked Harry.

Ron just laughed, understanding what Harry meant.

"Hey," Ron said in mock offense, "I can be plenty smart when I want to be!"

Before they could continue their conversation, the door to their compartment opened, revealing their least favorite blond-haired Slytherin.

"Well if it isn't Potter and his hangers-on," said Draco Malfoy.

"What do you want Malfoy?" asked Harry.

"Watch your tone Potter," said Malfoy, "I'm a prefect now. Give me any lip, and you'll get a detention!"

Malfoy flashed his shiny new prefect badge, smirking at them. Hermione pulled out a similar badge, and stepped forwards.

"If you were to do such a thing, I'd have no choice but to report you for abuse of your privileges," said Hermione.

"Shut up Mudblood!" said Malfoy.

"Why you!" said Ron.

He started moving to act against Malfoy. But Harry put his arm up to stop him.

"Leave Malfoy," growled Harry, "you are not welcome here".

"Or what, you'll cry at me?" said Malfoy.

Harry wanted to strike out, wanted to retaliate, but took a deep breath to cool the fire with him. He shouldn't waste his enegy on someone like Malfoy.

"You know what, Malfoy?" said Harry, "you're not even worth the effort".

Harry then shut the door in Malfoy's face, leaving him stunned.

"You know he'll only keep trying to anger you, right?" said Hermione.

"Well, I think Malfoy would be well suited to remember the Hogwarts Motto: 'Don't Tickle the Sleeping Dragon,'" said Harry.

"Well we better be going, Hermione and I need to head up to the Prefect's Carriage" said Ron.

"Alright, I guess we'll talk more later," said Harry.

Harry saw them off, and then sat back down to study his new books.

 _'…_ _Many have thought on the effects magic has on the world as a whole, the most common view for such this that of the Weave. This concept implies that the 'fabric' of reality is malleable, and is altered in small ways by magic. Under this model, a spell applies a change to this 'fabric' for the output effect._

 _A second model some people prefer if that to the 'Song'. Under this model, all things that make up the world and its states came be defined by specific tones. Put together, these tones form everything we observe in the world. This model states that magic cast is like adding new notes to the song. Furthermore…'_

The door to the compartment slid open, pulling Harry from his reading. Standing in the doorway was a familiar girl, Luna Lovegood.

"May I come in?" asked Luna.

"I guess," said Harry.

"Thank you," said Luna, "everyone should know not to enter a dragon's lair without permission".

Luna entered, and sat opposite Harry.

"How did you know what I was capable of?" asked Harry.

"Oh that little thing?" said Luna, "I've always been good at seeing to potential in people. I didn't get a chance to say this last time we spoke, but that you for protecting me from the dementors".

"You're welcome," said Harry, "It's been quite the busy summer".

"I'd expect so," said Luna, "this coming year will likely not be a quiet one, either"

"It never is," said Harry, "hopefully with less fatal danger than last year".

"That I cannot tell you," said Luna, "at least our newest professor should a good one".

"Really?" said Harry, "Who's teaching DADA this time?"

"You'll see," said Luna, "but I feel you'll be pleasantly surprised".

Before he could ask what she meant, Luna stood up and left. Harry was left scratching he head at the encounter, but soon went back to his reading.

 _Schools of Magic_

 _Magic as a whole can be divided up into broad categories or 'schools' based of the type of effect they have on the world. The flowing are a few examples._

 _ **Illusion** is a school of magic that involves tricking those around you that something his different than it truly is. Beyond the simple concept of crating images of things that aren't there, Illusion spell can make the caster more difficult to hit, plant images and dreams into a target's mind, influence their emotions, and even turn yourself or those around you invisible. In many cases, the effectiveness of Illusion spells are dependent on whether those targeted by such spell believe it the illusion. Once they realize that their seeing isn't real, it can no longer properly affect them._

 _ **Transmutation** , also called Transfiguration or Alteration, is the magical art of affecting real change to yourself and those around you. A classic example of Transmutation magic is seen and practiced by anyone who is an Animagus. Transmutation also allows a practitioner to change the state of the world around them by changing solid matter to liquid or gaseous states or vice versa. Other effects that fall under this category include spells of enlargement and diminution, spells to shift oneself into the border ethereal, and move at incredible speeds._

Harry continued to study and expand his knowledge of different types of magic, while the train rolled on into the night, continuing on northwards towards Hogwarts.

* * *

 **A/N:** And the we go! Next time, the arrival at Hogwarts, and the reveal of who the new DADA professor will be. See you then!


	19. Chapter 19: A new Professor

**A/N:** And here it is, the arrival at Hogwarts. Time for everyone to see who the new professor is!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 19: A New Professor

The Hogwarts Express pulled the stop at its platform, and the passengers disembarked. Hagrid led the first years away to the boats, while the rest of the students headed for the carriages. As he approached, Harry was momentarily taken aback when he saw what looked like skeletal horses pulling the carriages. Ron and Hermione caught up to him.

"Harry," said Hermione, "there you are, come on, let get going!"

"Do you see those horses?" said Harry, "the ones pulling the carriages".

"What horses?" asked Hermione, "there's nothing pulling the carriages".

"They look like skeletons," said Harry, "you mean you can't see them?"

"They're called Thestrals," said Luna as she approached, "they can only be seen by those who have witnessed death. Hagrid cares for them".

"I guess after Cedric," said Harry, "They've always been there, haven't they?"

"Oh yes," said Luna, "They've been here for many years".

Harry, satisfied with this, boarded the carriage. His friends followed, and the carriage set off. After a short journey it stopped again, and they exited. They continued inside the castle, making their way to the great hall. Luna split off towards the Ravenclaw table, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to the Gryffindor Table. As Harry looked across at the Head Table, he saw all the professors he expected, plus two others. One was a short woman wearing pink, with a toad-like face. While judging a book by its cover was usually ill advised, something about this woman just made him uneasy.

The other new addition to the table was a tall man with brown hair and dark blue eyes wearing simple, but finely made robes. As Harry looked at him, something seemed familiar, yet he was sure he hadn't met him before. Maybe it was the eyes… he was sure he'd seem them before somewhere.

After a short delay, the new group of 1st years was led into the hall, and the sorting commenced. The hat did its job, calling out Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slyftherin. Once it was done, and all the new students were seated, Dumbledore stood to greet the student body.

"Welcome all the Hogwarts!" said Dumbledore, "To students both new and old, I hope we can fill you minds with the knowledge to become to skillful wizards I know you all have to potential to be. This year, we have two new people here at our great school. First up, we have Delores Umbrage, an esteemed member of the Ministry of Magic".

The woman in pink, Umbrage, stood up… not that it made much difference in her overall height. She started rattling off a canned speech which seemed designed to put anyone listening to sleep. However, as Harry listened, he could tell that her intentions were to disrupt to the school. Harry remembered what he'd learned previously; this was the woman who'd sent Dementors after him. Eventually, she finished croaking, and took her seat again.

"Thank you for your words, Ms. Umbrage," said Dumbledore, "Now, it is my pleasure to introduce all of you to our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Vaerath Draconis!"

That caught Harry's attention. He looked this new professor closer, and caught his eyes. He knew those eyes. As he looked him over, he noticed Vaerath was looking right at him, and gave him a small smile. Vaerath stood, and addressed the Great Hall.

"Thank you, Headmaster," said Vaerath, "I am honored to meet you all, and look forwards to the opportunity to teach all of you. I've traveled far and wide in my day, and learned much. I hope you all are as prepared to learn what I know, as I am to share my knowledge".

Harry watched as he sat again, and spotted Umbrage looking at Vaerath unpleasantly. The rest of the dinner passed without major incident, and soon enough all the students were on their way to their dorms. Ron and Hermione helped guide the 1st years up to Gryffindor Tower. Once they were settled in, Harry and his friends had a moment to speak in private once more.

"Well, I think we'll have a good professor this year," said Harry.

"Something about him seemed odd," said Hermione, "did you see the way Umbrage was looking at him?"

"I think that's because he took the job she wanted," said Harry, "she's apparently pretty high up in the Ministry of Magic, more or less 2nd only to Fudge".

"How'd you know that Harry?" asked Ron, "My Dad mentioned her a few times, but that all I know".

"Professor Dumbledore told me about her," said Harry, "She's the one who sent the Dementors after me".

"Bloody Hell!" said Ron, "what about our new professor? What makes you think he'll be good?"

"Because I've met him before," said Harry, "he's from the other world I was in. You know how I told you I'm only the most recent person to have this power I've inherited? Well, he's the one before me".

Ron and Hermione's eyes went wide at this statement, likely for different reasons. Harry could already see Hermione preparing a long series of questions to ask of Vaerath when she got the chance. After a moment, Ron started laughing.

"What so funny?" asked Harry.

"I just thought of how excited Charlie is going to be when he learns about both you and our new professor," said Ron.

"Well if you do tell him, please remind him to try and be respectful," said Harry, "I don't think Vaerath will take well to being poked, prodded, and used as an experiment, I certain wouldn't".

It was getting late, so they headed up to their respective dorm rooms, and prepared for bed. As much as Harry wished for a quiet school year, he knew this wouldn't be one. At least now he knew he had people here could rely on.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Next time, classes begin. See you then!


	20. Chapter 20: Classes Begin

**A/N:** And here we are! Let's see what changes have occurred the to Hogwarts curriculum? shall we?

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 20: Classes Begin

The next morning, Harry and his friends made their way down to the Great Hall. Harry had overheard more of the bad press the Ministry had been giving him, but he knew better than to allow their petty words to bother him. Once the students were settled, the Heads of House passed out the schedules for this year. Among the various classes, Harry saw he had both Potions and DADA today. Up at the head table, Umbrage was glaring across the hall at him even worse than she had been last night.

Eventually, it was time to head to class. First up this morning was Potions. Harry made his was down to the dungeons, and noticed the potions lab had had its walls scrubbed down, removing at least some of the soot and residues of previous classes' work. Harry and the rest to the class took their seats.

Soon enough Snape came out of his office, still looking as unfriendly as usual. He surveyed the class, and then waved his wand, sending sheets of parchment to each student.

"I do not need to remind you that this is your OWL year. Whether you can grade well enough in your classes will dictate which advanced classes you can take in your 6th and 7th years. Those of you who seek the take Potions for those years must show proper knowledge of both Potions itself as well as Herbology. As such, we will begin this year's class with a test to see if you're up to that standards we seek, or in need of improvement," said Snape, "You may begin".

As Harry worked through each question on the test, He noticed that (sensibly) all the questions were related to potions that the class had worked at in previous years. While the class was working on the test, Harry saw Umbrage out of the corner of his eye, speaking to Snape. At the end, there were a series of extra credit questions. Harry did the best he could on these, and then put his quill down. Snape approached Harry's table, and collected his exam, just like had for the others that had finished. Snape gave his test a cursory glance over, and nodded.

"You may go P… Mr. Potter," said Snape, "I believe you have some free time before your next class".

"Thank you Professor," said Harry.

Harry packed up his supplies, and left the room. He was surprised that Snape was trying to be less hostile towards him. At least that was one less thing to worry about. Harry made his way to the DADA classroom, arriving a few minutes early. Vaerath looked up from his desk and smile.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, come in," said Vaerath, "How has your time back been so far?"

"Well enough," said Harry, "I already miss the Dragon Realms".

"I can understand that," said Vaerath, "just wait until you get to see what else lies out there, infinities upon infinities of worlds to see! But for now, your place is here. Once the 'Dark Lord' troubling this world is properly dealt with, you'll be free to make your own path. We can speak more of this later".

The rest of the class soon arrived, and all took their seats. Once everyone was settled, Vaerath stood to begin the lesson.

"Greetings to all of you once again," said Vaerath, "I am Professor Draconis. I have been hired to teach you to properly defend yourself against those who would seek to use magic for villainous purposes. I have reviewed the notes left behind by previous professors, and used them to help decide what you need to best succeed. As you know, you have your OWL exams at the end of this school year. While these are primarily written tests, the best way to learn would be through practical studies. Let's begin with…"

"Heh-hem!" said Umbrage, who was standing in the doorway.

"Ah, Ms. Umbrage," said Vaerath, "what can I do for you?"

"Just a few questions... Mr. Draconis, was it?" said Umbrage.

"Certainly," said Vaerath, "please open your books to page fifteen and read through the chapter".

Harry did as asked, but still kept an ear on what was going on with Vaerath.

"I notice that's not Slinkhard's book, the one which has been approved by the ministry for use," said Umbrage.

"Slinkhard's book? You mean the one that was outlawed for teaching use in 1900 for the fact that its contents advocate running directly away from anyone who's attacking you?" said Vaerath, "Instructions that mean that any who follow them are put in greater danger than his they stayed and fought?"

"Fighting? These are _children_ they shouldn't be fighting! It's the job of those in the ministry to protect them," said Umbrage.

"You do realize these are students in their OWL year, right?" said Vaerath, "in only a few short years, they'll complete their education here, and join the workforce as legal adults, taking jobs throughout society, including in the Ministry. You also seem to fail to understand that this is a class on _Defense Against the Dark Arts_. It is a class all about learning to properly defend yourself. More than that, recent events have shown the importance of proper self defense".

"What event? Nothing has happen of that sort!" said Umbrage.

"Oh, really? An attack on innocent people at the Quidditch World Cup last year, and let's not forget the Tri-Wizard Tournament, when the final task was sabotaged, resulting in a student being killed by dark wizards?" said Vaerath.

Umbrage was seething at being outthought, but continued along a different tack.

"You know, I don't believe I've heard of your family before," said Umbrage.

"Ah, I must guess that you didn't look far enough back," said Vaerath, "I would recommend taking a closer look at the original charter upon which your ministry, as well as many wizarding governments worldwide are founded. House Draconis is an ancient one, and we usually prefer to keep out of the petty political squabbling of your ministry".

"I shall look into this," said Umbrage, "The truth will be exposed!"

"As you say, Ms. Umbrage," said Vaerath, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a class to teach".

Umbrage just scowled even deeper and left the room. The class progressed without incident after that, and soon enough it was time to pack up. Harry. Ron and Hermione lagged behind so that they could speak with Vaerath.

"That woman," muttered Vaerath, "I've seen oozes more tolerable than her. Where did they dredge her up from?"

"She's a politician, apparently," said Harry.

"Ah, that would explain it," said Vaerath, "These must be your friends".

"Yes, This in Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger," said Harry.

"Good to meet both of you," said Vaerath, "Now, to business. Headmaster Dumbledore is still researching a... sensitive topic, but has asked me to help in expanding your magical knowledge. Of course, your friends are welcome to join in".

"We could? Where would we meet? When would we start? What would we learn?" asked Hermione.

"Calm yourself, Ms. Granger, cool your thoughts," said Vaerath, "We will likely be starting this weekend. Dumbledore already an idea of where we could meet safely. As to what your learn? You'll just have to wait and see".

* * *

 **A/N:** And then we go! Next time, Extra Curricular studies. See you then!


	21. Chapter 21: Extracurricular Studies

**A/N:** And here we go! Let's see what Harry and his friends may be learning today.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 21: Extracurricular Studies

For Harry, the weekend couldn't come soon enough. He worked through each of his classes for the week, spotting Umbrage interrogating each of his professors. He noticed that she'd backed off from bothering Vaerath again for now, but still gave him the same sour look. Eventually, the day came. Vaerath asked for Harry and his friends to meet him in a corridor on the 7th floor. There, in front of the painting of Barnabus the Barmy and the dancing trolls. The found Vaerath, Fred and George Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood waiting for them.

"Ah good, you're right on time" said Vaerath, "Let's head inside".

"Inside where?" asked Ron, "There's nothing in this hall!"

"Is that so?" said Vaerath with a smirk, "allow me to show you".

With that, Vaerath walked back and forth in the hallway three times, when suddenly a door appeared on the wall. Vaerath stepped over and opened the door, before glancing back.

"Well? Are you coming?" asked Vaerath.

Everyone headed through the door, arriving in a large chamber filled with a variety of target and training dummies. There was something particularly odd about this chamber something Harry couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Welcome to the Room of Requirement," said Vaerath.

"This is amazing!" said Hermione, "this room should be intersecting other chambers, but it must be some form of expansion charm?"

"I believe it may be more than that," said Vaerath, "Albus believes must have been built by the founders of this institution as a private sanctuary of sorts. This room conforms to the needs of anyone who walks in front of that painting".

"The Founders Four were among this most knowledgeable mages this world has ever seen," said Luna.

"Indeed," said Vaerath, "Now then, to business".

With that, Vaerath stepped back from the group, and transformed into his true draconic form. Most of those present looked at him with awe.

"Our professor's a dragon!?" said Fred.

"Best professor ever!" said George.

"We'll see what you think once we've begun training," said Vaerath, "Harry you should change as well".

Harry reached within himself, and felt his body change. It felt good to be back in his dragon form.

"H-harry?" said Neville.

"I'm still me, Neville," said Harry, "I just look different".

Vaerath focused for a moment, and books appeared in front of the others

"Now let us begin," said Vaerath, "we will begin with a spell commonly known as Entangle. This useful spell summons the power of Earth and Nature to your aid, binding you foes with vines. We will be practicing of these animated training dummies. Study the incantation on page 38 and step forwards when you feel you are ready".

One by one they read through the spell, and then moved forwards. Harry wondered for a moment how he'd cast without use of his wand, but then remembered how he'd seen Vaerath do it before: his entire body was technically a spellcasting focus.

Harry moved up to his dummy, he thought about channeling the Earth element, pushing the power towards the Entangle spell. He felt the power build, and pointed a claw towards the dummy. In response, vines strung form the floor, wrapping around the dummy. As Harry looked around, He saw that Neville was the next to get it. Eventually, everyone managed to spell with Luna being the last to get this particular spell.

"Excellent!" said Vaerath, "Hmm… what next? Ah I know! Turn to page 37. Harry, I believe you may remember when I showed you use of this spell before".

As Harry looked the page over, he found a spell which matched one of theose Vaerath had shown him previously, and began working on it. it was a bit more complex than the previous spell, but it didn't look too bad. He cast the spell at the training dummy, and as the power coalesced between his claws, he felt a bit of resistance from his target, which gave way a moment later. The dummy began to shrink, becoming half its original size. He checked on the other's progress, and saw that Ron was the first to get it this time.

"Once more, good work to you all," said Vaerath.

"I noticed that it wasn't as powerful as when you used it," said Harry.

"Well, of course," said Vaerath, "you've only just learned the spell, I've had much time to practice and refine my command over it. As you become more practiced you'll be able to strengthen the effects of you spells. Next up, let's see how you do with a spell of Divination".

Hermione frowned for a moment before replying.

"I… think I might have a problem," said Hermione, "Professor Trelawney says I don't have the 'sight'".

"Ah, fear not," said Vaerath, "she means that you are not a psychic medium. Divination spells can allow one to temporarily replicate the abilities of those who are. Even if you do end up being less skilled with this type of spell, then that's no problem. Nobody expects any of you to be perfect at everything. Now, this spell is a simple one, used to detect sources of magic around you page 34 this time".

Harry looked the spell over, and it didn't look too complex. As he began to work on casting it, he found it trickier than he expected, then noticed that Luna's eyes were surrounded by magical power. He tried it again, putting more focus on the spell, and felt it complete. As he observed his surrounding, he could _see_ the magic flowing through the air, _smell_ it drifting into his nostrils, _taste_ it on the tip of his tongue. He could feel the magic flowing from the very stones around him, and looking at the others in the room he could see the magic within him. He couldn't look at Vaerath for too long, though: the sight of his raw power was nearly blinding. Harry also realized the others weren't looking at him for too long, either… maybe he had a similar effect?

As the spell's effect faded, Vaerath smiled at everyone.

"Well then, I believe that's enough for the day," said Vaerath, "I can already see where your individual strengths lie. We can meet in the future and continue your studies".

With that Harry and Vaerath reassumed their human forms, and the group left the room, a bit more knowledgeable.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Spells used in this chapter: Entangle, Enlarge/Reduce, and Detect Magic. Next time, the Adventure continues! See you then!


	22. Chapter 22: The Diadem

**A/N** : And here's the next chapter! Time to destroy a Horcrux!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 22: The Diadem

The first month of the term passed without major incident. Draco Malfoy was still trying to push Harry into reacting, but Harry was having none of it. Umbrage was staying quiet, but seemed to be planning something. Vaerath continued to teach them Defense during normal classes, and tested them on other types of magic on the weekends. On this day, Vaerath took Harry to his office to speak with him. The office was decorated with a banner showing the symbols of the elements, and he had several items locked in a cabinet, including what appeared to a deck of cards.

"Thank you for coming," said Vaerath, "Dumbledore has informed me of the method by which this world's current Dark Lord has survived beyond death. To created that many Phylacteries…"

"Does this mean he's found one?" said Harry.

"Exactly!" said Vaerath, "however, the Ministry is still keeping a close eye on his actions, and yours as well to a lesser extent. If they see the two of you interacting in any way beyond that of student and headmaster, they'll go on the attack. Luckily, I can be an intermediary. Dumbledore has come across this".

Vaerath put on a thick glove, before pulling a locket out of his desk. The Locket was marked by the familiar emblem of House Slytherin. As he looked at it, Harry's instincts told him that there was something very wrong about this artifact.

"You feel it too, I see," said Vaerath, "This is one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Dumbledore showed me as spell that will allow us to use it to track any others Voldemort may have made".

"That's great!" said Harry.

"Indeed it is," said Vaerath, "We suspect Voldemort most likely hid the Horcruxes in places of importance to him. As he was a student here, there's a chance he may have hidden one of them right here in the halls of Hogwarts. Let's test it out".

Vaerath cast the spell, and the Locket lifted on its chain, pointing right at Harry.

"Hmm… you've been touched by his magic in the past, it might be a false positive," said Vaerath.

He focused again, the locket swung around to point at somewhere above them.

"Ah, there we go!" said Vaerath, "let's see where we end up".

The two of them made their way upstairs, arriving on the 7th floor… in front of the painting of Barabus the Barmy.

"It looks like this is the place," said Vaerath, "I guess it makes sense, a room that can't be found except by those who know of it".

He paced back and forth in the hallway, can then the door appeared. The two of them went inside to find a room piled to the ceiling with junk. There were melted cauldrons, worn out books, a mountain of left socks, and other assorted objects.

"Well then… this might take a while," said Vaerath, "We better get started".

They began their trek into the depths of the Room of Requirement. Everywhere they looked, there were more lost and forgotten things. Keys, watches, books both new and ancient-looking… the list went on. As the continued, something caught Harry's eye: a large wooden cabinet.

"I've seen this before," said Harry, "In a shop in Nocturn Alley".

"Interesting," said Vaerath, "Shall we take a closer look?"

Harry took a closer look at the cabinet, using the detection spell Vaerath had taught him. As he looked again, he could see what looked like a corridor of magic leading away from the cabinet, and pointing south. The cabinet smelled of conjuration magic.

"I think it might be enchanted with some sort of conjuration spell." said Harry.

"Yes, that's what I'm getting too," said Vaerath, "It appears to be something similar to a dimension door spell. It likely connects to the other cabinet you saw before. We should probably have Dumbledore look at it later".

They made their way deeper and deeper into the seemingly endless stacks of the Room of Requirement, not sure how long they'd been delving unto this place. Eventually, thet reached a clearing of sorts in this labyrinth of lost items, and there they saw it: sitting atop a bust of a regal-look woman, a beautiful diadem… and the locket was pointing right at it. At the base of the bust as an inscription: 'Wit beyond measure is life's greatest treasure- R.R.'.

"It looks like we've found it," said Vaerath.

"R.R." said Harry, "I wonder if that would be Rowena Ravenclaw?"

"You mean one of this institution's founders?" said Vaerath, "That would make sense, this locket apparently originally belonged to Salazar Slytherin. I hate to have to ruin something like this, but there's no way to extract the soul fragment without destroying the vessel".

Vaerath stepped back and shifted to dragon form, used his magic to move the diadem onto the floor, and blasted it with fire. The diadem was swiftly consumed, and a shadowy form emerged shrieking. It dived towards Harry, but Vaerath reacted quickly, unleashing a beam of violet energy. The beam intercepted the specter, destroying it.

"Well then, that's one horcrux dealt with," said Vaerath, "We should report back on our success".

They made their way back out of the Room of Requirement, Vaerath re-assuming his human form along the way. On their way back towards Vaerath's office, they ran into Dumbledore.

"Ah Mr. Potter," said Dumbledore, "how are your classes going?"

"They're going well, sir," said Harry.

"Have you come across anything that you thought was particularly interesting?" asked Dumbledore

Harry understood what Dumbledore was doing, giving him a chance to pass on information.

"In a book I read, I saw a reference to some sort of enchanted cabinet," said Harry, "It said something about taking those who used it to distant places".

"Ah, that sounds like a rare artifact known as a Vanishing Cabinet," said Dumbledore, "It's always good to see students studying hard. If you keep to your studies like this, you're sure to do well on your OWLs".

With that Dumbledore continued on his way, leaving Harry and Vaerath to their business. Eventually they reached Vaerath's office, and they went their separate ways. As Harry departed he couldn't put out of his mind how the Locket had pointed right at him. Could it be possible that there was a piece of Voldemort attached to him? Only time would tell.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! one Horcrux down, four to go. Note that the Locket is excluded from this count as it's already in their possession, and as such could be destroyed whenever they're ready.


	23. Chapter 23: Ancient Darkness

**A/N:** Some readers have been requesting that I add something to give Voldemort a boost. I personally don't think he really needs it. Technically, he could still destroy Harry with only two words. But, I will bow to the desires of my reviewers and give Tom a bit of something extra.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 23: Ancient Darkness

Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr., AKA Lord Voldemort, had been feeling strange since this resurrection earlier this year. This was to be expected, seeing as being resurrected was not a normal thing to occur. However, there was something more than that. The ritual Pettigrew had performed had met expectations, and his new body was good enough. One thing he couldn't get of his mind was that power Potter had displayed. He'd felt it ripple though the very depths of his being, tearing at him. Could this be the power Potter was supposed to possess? The power that would be used to defeat him?

" _It is far more than that, Tom,"_ whispered a voice.

Voldemort looked around seeking the voice's source, seeking whoever it was that would _dare_ use that name. He was alone for now, none of his Death Eaters were present, he didn't even see Nagini. All the same, that voice seemed familiar, like something half-remembered, something that had always been there.

"Who dares," said Voldemort, "who come into the domain of I, Lord Voldemort!?"

The voice chuckled darkly, and even with everything he'd done to get where he was now, it sent a chill down his spine.

" _I am know by countless names,"_ said the voice, " _I am that which lurks in the shadows, I am what make rational minds fear the night, I am the serpent which gnaws at the root of the world, I am that eternal corruption that lies deep within the darkest part of the souls of all sentient beings. Have you forgotten me, Tom? I was there for you when you were rotting away in that orphanage"._

Voldemort thought back, and then realized: he did know this voice. When he was at his lowest point, it had spoken to him, help him nurture those dark desires he'd formulated within his own mind. It was his first 'friend' to speak of, with the exception of the occasional snake he'd spoken to. It had been there, pushed him into action against those who tormented him, and preventing him from... no, he did wish to dwell on what he might have done to himself if this being had never spoken.

"I remember," said Voldemort, "but it's been a long time since you've spoken to me. Why return now?"

" _Return? Why, I never left Tom,_ " said the voice, " _I've always kept an eye on you, watching as you rose to the greatness you so deserved, and fell to the protections placed upon that Potter boy. Speaking of which Potter's been busy. He has already destroyed one of your phylacteries, using_ _that_ _power"._

"What power?" said Voldemort, "The one he wielded against me on the night of my resurrection?"

" _Oh, that is but the barest expression of the power Potter could now use,_ " said the voice, " _Trust me on this, I know. I have seen this power in its full glory, but that was many millennia ago, Malefor was his name. The first to possess this particular power, and even he never used it to its fullest extent. He was a mighty host, one of the few I've directly contacted who had the power to wield my true might. If only the second had been of lesser will, then I could have had a host for all of eternity"._

"I don't understand," said Voldemort, "why are you telling me this?"

" _Simple, Tom, I have a proposition for you,"_ said the voice, " _by taking on this power, Potter has marked himself as an entity of interest for me. I would aid you in defeating him, once and for all… at least in mind. His body is still of use to me, that, or the body of his newest professor. I would prefer Potter's though, it will last me longer. In turn, I will gift you power and knowledge to aid you in destroying your foes and making this world your own. Of course, there's only so much your body will be able to handle. While you may look and act alive, I know that your body is little better than a golem"._

It knew… of course it knew, why wouldn't it? This being had been with him since he was a small child, it most likely knew him better than he knew himself. For the first time in quite a while, Lord Voldemort allowed himself a trickle of fear. Just what was it that had always been there, whispering to him in his darkest of dreams, shaping his desires to create his vision of the world. His mind was a jumble of different thoughts, remembering the stories of H.P. Lovecraft that he'd snuck out of the orphanage to read when he was young. Horrors from beyond the stars, entities from between the dark folds of reality… was this what had nurtured his darkest thoughts? Then again, this was the only one who'd been there for him, the only one which could truly understand. He'd delved too far into the darkness, stared too long into the abyss to turn back now.

"Tell me more," said Voldemort, "Tell me everything!"

" _I knew you world make the right choice, Tom,"_ said the voice, " _you will have that what you need… in time. I must depart for now, be ready, my friend"._

"Wait! What should I call you?" asked Voldemort.

In the shadows, out of the corner of his eye, Voldemort caught his first glimpse of the entity, a flash of dark wings and orange eyes appeared just for an instant before it was gone.

" _You may call me 'The Dark Master',"_ said the voice.

The world around Voldemort seemed to grow indistinct, and then…

Voldemort awoke with a start. He observed his surrounds: he was in the sumptuous bedroom of the Guest wing of Malfoy Manor. He heard the subtle sound of scales against the floor, and he saw Nagini lift her head to look at him.

" _Master,"_ hissed Nagini, " _Are you alright? You smell of fear"._

" _Do not trouble yourself, it was just a bad dream,_ " said Voldemort.

" _I will not allow any to harm you,"_ hissed Nagini, " _you gave me the gift of knowledge, power, and a piece of yourself. You will be safe from any who seek you harm as long as I am here"._

While his familiar's words gave him some solace, he couldn't shake the lingering feeling of dread that had planted its roots deep within his mind.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Voldie now had something extra backing him up, a promise of power from an ancient malicious entity. Next time, the tale continues!


	24. Chapter 24: Connections

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Let's check in on Harry, shall we?

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 24: Connections

Harry awoke with a start. He'd just had a bizarre dream, and his scar was hurting. He tried to recall the details. He remembered seeing Voldemort in a finely appointed room, and he looked… worried? As well, he remembered emotions he was sure he'd never feel about Voldemort, like they were the thoughts of another. This other seemed protective to Voldemort, something Harry himself would never be. Harry also recalled the last time His scar had felt this way… it was only when Voldemort was nearby.

If this had happened before this last summer, he would have probably kept this to himself, as he'd not gotten much support whenever he tried to warn others in the past. But he now knew he had people he could rely on. He would be sure to inform them. The next morning, classes progressed as normal, with Snape still being strict with his teaching but not actually hostile. Harry could understand this: after all, potions could easily be quite dangerous if you didn't exercise proper caution.

After potions class was done for the day, it was time for Defense Against the Dark Arts. He made sure to arrive earlier, so that he could tell Vaerath what had happened.

"Hello Professor," said Harry.

"Good day, Mr. Potter," said Vaerath, "you look troubled, it sthere something bothering you?"

"I had a strange dream last night," said Harry, "It was like… I was in someone else's head. I saw Voldemort, and whoever's head I was in seemed… concerned for him".

"I… see," said Vaerath looking worried, "We'll have to discuss this with Dumbledore later".

The class progressed without further incident, but the incident was still on Harry's mind. Later that day, Vaerath asked him to head to a disused chamber within the castle dungeons. They were met there by Dumbledore and Snape.

"Mr. Potter, thank you for sharing your experience," said Dumbledore, "I am not yet sure what to make of what you have reported. I have asked Professor Snape to join us as he is rather skilled in mind magics".

"Mr. Potter," said Snape, "I would ask you to recount exactly what you saw and felt. Don't leave anything out".

Harry repeated all the details he could remember, from the way this 'other' had felt towards Voldemort, to the sense that the aforementioned dark lord seemed worried about something. As he finished, each of the three professors before him looked contemplative.

"Interesting," said Snape, "Albus, what do you think?"

"It's possible that Voldemort has unwittingly formed a connection with you because of the ritual that he'd used to resurrect himself. There are other possibilities, but this is the most likely," said Dumbledore, "it would be best that we deal with this quietly, before Voldemort learns of this connection, and how to exploit it".

"I'd like that," said Harry, "I don't what to be in Voldemort's head, and I definitely don't want him in mine".

"A wise decision," said Dumbledore, "The best option will be to teach you to use Occulomeny, the art of shielding you mind from intrusion".

"Are you going to teach me?" asked Harry.

"As much as it would like to, the ministry is still look at both of us with suspicion," said Dumbledore, "Severus. It you would?"

"You want me to teach him?" said Snape, "very well. I expect you to work hard Mr. Potter. I will not accept any laxness from you on this".

"Of course Professor," said Harry.

"Would you mind if I join in on these sessions as well?" asked Vaerath, "I know of the importance of protecting one's mind as well".

"An excellent idea!" said Dumbledore, "If you'll excuse me, I have some research to do so that we may better understand what Mr. Potter has experienced".

"You should head out as well Mr. Potter," said Vaerath, "we don't want you friends tearing the castle apart looking for you".

Harry left, leaving Snape and Vaerath to discuss the details.

"What are you planning?" asked Snape.

"I'm not certain what you mean Severus," said Vaerath.

"I think you do," said Snape, "you have a vested interest in Potter, more than just that of a Professor. Why?"

"Mr. Potter and I share something special," said Vaerath, "While we are not directly related genetically, we are related in terms of abilities".

"You are from the other world he was in," said Snape.

It wasn't a question.

"I am, and yet I am not," said Vaerath, "the fact that you're still here means that Albus trusts you. However, I am not quite certain I trust you yet. I've seen how you act: I've seen others like you many times before. You're a spy, and given you're still alive, one of skill. You'll need to decide whose side you're truly on".

Vaerath felt a strange sensation jab at the edge of your perception. He quickly repelled it before it could get deeper than his surface thoughts. Even still, images flashed in his mind's eye. Images of battles he'd fought, foes he'd defeated, places he'd seen, and beings he'd met. As he pushed it out, Snape stumbled back as his probe back-lashed.

"I'm going to ignore that you tried to do that," growled Vaerath dangerously, "attempt that again, and I will _not_ be so forgiving".

"W-who… _what_ are you?" asked Snape.

"Vaerath Draconis, just as I said before," said Vaerath, "You know, it's rather rude to delve into someone's memories without express permission. Why did you try that?"

"You are an unknown," said Snape, "for all I know, you could be an agent of the Dark Lord".

"Unlike you Severus, I would _never_ allow myself to be marked like cattle," Said Vaerath, "You're going to be teaching one who is under my protection. In your intrusion, you've seen but an infinitesimal glimpse of what _both_ I and Harry are capable of. Remember that _human_ , and we won't have a problem".

With that, Vaerath went on his was, leaving Snape still reeling from what he'd seen. That was the sort of power Potter possessed? Could Potter truly be capable of the things he'd seen? If this were true, then he knew what he needed to do.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Just what might Snape be thinking? Next time, its time to begin Occulomency training. See you then!


	25. Chapter 25: The Lair Within

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 25: The Lair Within

It was time for Harry's to begin learning Occulomency. He was led by Vaerath down to the dungeons, where he had 'potions tutoring' with Snape. Once there, Snape directed him into his office behind the potions lab. Snape directed Harry to a comfortable-looking couch, and brought out a kettle of tea as well as cup for all three of them.

"Now then, Mr. Potter," said Snape, "you are here to learn the art of Occulomency, to shield your mind against intrusion. It is not easy to master, and I do not expect you to get very far today. I have been informed of your… unusual status. I do not know how this may affect these lessons. Before we continue there is something I must do".

"What is that?" asked Harry.

"As the most effective way to test how well you are protecting you mind is to attack it. There is a high likelihood that I will see thing you'd wish kept private," said Snape. "As such I will offer you a wizard's oath that anything I observe will be kept between us".

"That's a powerful thing he's offering you Harry," said Vaerath, "If someone breaks that sort of oath, it could kill them".

"That is correct," said Snape, "do you accept these terms?"

"I accept," said Harry.

"Very well," said Snape, "I, Severus Tobias Snape, swear upon my Life and Magic that any information gained from within the mind of Harry James Potter will be kept secret, excepting his express permission. So Mote It Be".

There was a brief flare of magic around Snape, he then he poured the tea and took a sip from his cup.

"Usually, I would start by teaching you the clear you mind, make it so that when someone tries to invade you mind, they see nothing. This is my preferred method. However, I am uncertain whether this will work for you".

"Most likely not," said Vaerath, "dragons are creatures of extremes. The kind that Harry and I are even more so. I have an idea that might work, at least it works well for me".

"What is it?" asked Harry.

"Picture in your mind a place you think of as safe," said Vaerath, "This place is yours and yours alone".

Harry tried to think of a place that would qualify. Hogwarts itself came to mind, but he discounted it as there'd never truly been a case where he was 'safe' there. The Dragon Temple seemed like an idea, but that place wasn't 'his'. He discounted the images of Spyro's lair that he'd seen in that dream for similar reasons. Then it came to him.

 _Harry and Infernus had been on a journey to Kaskia Isles, a place where he could better understand the power of Fire. As they reached the coast, they were forced to ground as a fierce storm was brewing over the sea. The sought shelter in a cave along the costal bluffs until the sky's fury calmed. During the night of their stay, He took the time to explore the cave a bit. He found it to be the entrance to a larger cavern network, extending some distance underground and lit by luminous mineral deposits, casting a soft, comforting light through the caverns. There were no signs of recent habitation, though: this place belonged to no one._

It belonged to no one. That meant it could be his, and his alone. He pictured the cave in his mind, remembering the feeling of the stone beneath his paws, the every twist and turn of the passage, the way the crystals lit the way deeper inside. He remembered how it sat high up on the cliffs, virtually inaccessible except from the skies. This place was his. This place was safe. No one could take it from him.

"I've thought of a place," said Harry.

"Good," said Vaerath, "now, choose a loaction within to place what you want protect. After that, imagine what you might want to guard it with. Remember, this is within you mind. There are no limits except you own imagination what can be there".

Harry imagined a series of traps and protections, some watching over the real path, while others leading to nothing but dead ends. He even made it so some of the paths would loop, putting an intruder back where they started.

"I've done it," said Harry.

"Very good," said Vaerath, "Severus, I believe this is your part".

Snape nodded and pulled out his wand, and pointed it at Harry.

"I shall do this verbally to start," said Snape, "that way, you have a chance to become accustomed to the sensation of having you mind intruded. Once you gain sufficient skill with that, we can move on to testing your skills against a silent cast of the same spell".

"I'm ready," said Harry.

"We shall see," said Snape, " _Legiamens_ ".

The pulse of magic struck Harry, and before long the outer wall of his defenses crumbled, and Snape was in. In Snape's mind's eye, he was standing at the base of a cliff, a cave far above. Behind him, there was a seemingly endless sea Snape cast a levitation spell, and floated up to the cave. Snape moved into the cave, the way lit by glowing crystals.

The path wound deeper, and soon he came to a junction. Each path seemed equally likely. He chose the path to the right. The path twisted at turned, and he eventually came to a library. He rolled his eyes, and checked one of the books. It was blank. So was the next one he checked, and the next. He realized this room was false, and gained a small note of respect for Potter. He continued deeper, choosing different paths as he went, and eventually found what he was looking for, the door into an actual memory. He flung it open, and stepped inside.

 _Harry was in curled up in pain once more. He hadn't meant to burn Dudley's bacon, he really hadn't. The blow from the frying pan Aunt Petunia had struck him with hurt only slightly less than the burns on his arm._

Snape ended his legiameny probe, allowing both him and Harry to relax. Both of them were tired from the mental exertion they'd both used.

"Drink some of the tea, Mr. Potter," said Snape, "It will help calm your nerves".

Harry gladly drank his tea, and was feeling better already.

"You were right, that was hard," said Harry.

"You did better than I expected," said Snape, "this method you're using seems quite effective. I would recommend varying up the obstruction you place, so to leave your opponent guessing. It might also be a good idea to alter the paths for the future, so that neither I, nor anyone else can memorize the paths".

"That's a good idea, thank you professor," said Harry.

"That memory I observed, that was a true memory, correct, not anything false you came up with?" asked Snape.

"It was real," said Harry, "why would I fake something like that?"

Snape saw the look in Harry's eyes, and he knew. He knew Harry was telling the truth. Those emotions he felt in that memory were ones Snape was quite familiar with.

"Does Albus know about this?" asked Snape.

"He does, to an extent," said Harry, "he knows how the Dursleys treated me, and regrets placing me there".

"I see," said Snape, "I believe we are done for today, Mr. Potter. You may go".

"Thank you for taking the time to do this Professor," said Harry.

"Go now," said Snape, "And, Mr. Potter? Good job".

Something silent passed between Harry and Snape, a moment of understanding. Harry nodded, and left.

"I would like to apologize, Severus," said Vaerath, "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that".

"I understand why you are protective of you mind," said Snape, "I notice you didn't say anything about my training method".

"You created a fair contract and privacy policy, but there's more to it than that, isn't there?" said Vaerath, "you care about Harry, don't you?"

"I… that is a private matter," said Snape, "All I will say is I made a grave mistake in the past, and now I'm paying for it".

Vaerath didn't reply immediately. He looked him up and down, reassessing the man before him. Eventually, he had his answer.

"I'm glad to have you on our side, Severus," said Vaerath.

With that, he stood and left the room, leaving Snape to his thoughts.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Harry has begun to learn Occulomeny, Snape has begun to see what Harrry's life was like, and Vaerath has gained a slightly better understanding of Snape. Next time, the tale continues!


	26. Chapter 26: The Locket?

**A/N:** Hey, let's see what Voldemort is up to, shall we?

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 26: The Locket?

Voldemort apperated to a location just outside a nondescript cave near the coastline. The wards around this place were still intact, just as he'd left them. That being, the one calling itself the Dark Master, it had implied that his Horcruxes were threatened. He went into the cave, and boarded the boat. It drifted across the water, the lethifolds resting silently below the surface. A short time later, the boat reached the island in the center of the lake. Looking into the vessel in the center of the room, he could see the locket exactly where he left it. Still, it would be better to check.

Voldemort drew his wand, and tapped a particular sequence around the rim of the vessel, causing the locket to float to the surface. He picked it up, and immediately knew something was wrong. This wasn't the right locket. He couldn't feel the power it held last time he'd held it. He couldn't feel the fragment of his soul within. Voldemort opened the locket, and inside found a note.

 _Hello Voldemort, or should I call you Tom? I bet you didn't expect this, I bet you didn't think someone you kept so close would turn against you. Consider this my resignation. – R.A.B._

Voldemort stared at the note, barely holding back from setting it alight immediately. With those initials, there was only one of his Death Eaters that this could be. Regelus Arcturus Black. But… the method to disarm his traps was known only to him. This meant Black had been forced to consume the poison, likely killing him. If the locket was still in this cave, it would have been automatically returned to the vessel. This meant someone had helped him remove it, but unless there was another betrayer in his forces there was only one possibility: a house elf.

 _"_ _Didn't I tell you that they've been moving against you?"_ whispered the Dark Master, _"As long as you keep that serpent of yours safe, they cannot destroy you, no matter how many other phylacteries they destroy"._

"What can I do then?" asked Voldemort, "I could get my Death Eaters to recover my others".

 _"_ _Don't waste your time, Tom,"_ whispered the Dark Master, _"better to leave them where they are, to draw your foes into our clutches"._

It had a good point, Voldemort realized. This… he still didn't know what he was truly speaking to. He'd looked into references to the name, but those few he found were beyond ancient. They also seemed to reference… doors? No, that wasn't right. It referenced gateways, leading… well they hadn't said.

"What would you have me do?" asked Voldemort.

 _"_ _There are places in this world where those who worshipped be long ago laid artifacts of importance,"_ said the Dark Master, _"If you were to recover them, Potter could fall easily before our might"._

"Where to I start?" asked Voldemort.

 _"_ _Allow me time to reach out for them,_ " said the Dark Master, _"It has been long since I have had any to properly allow me to channel my abilities. All will be revealed, Tom"._

Voldemort felt the Dark Master's presence move away, and released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He had to wonder, how much of what he'd done in his life was his own will, and how much were the subtle machinations of the Dark Master? In the end, it didn't matter. It was far too late to turn back now.

Voldemort made his way back across the lake, and apperated back to Malfoy Manor. Shortly after he entered, he was met by Lucius.

"My Lord," said Lucius, "I had heard that you'd stepped out. Can I aid you with anything?"

Voldemort looked the man over. He thought about having Lucius call upon the Black family House Elf, but thought better of it. If the elf was working for the one who betrayed him, how did he know it wouldn't inform on him to others?

"Not at the moment, Lucius," said Voldemort, "I was simply checking on something of mine. Leave me to my thoughts".

Lucius moved off, glad to have avoided his Lord's ire. Voldemort continued on to his private quarter's and found Nagini waiting of him.

 _"_ _You have returned,"_ said Nagini, _"did you find it?"_

 _"_ _No, my dear,"_ said Voldemort, _"It was taken, stolen from us some time ago"._

Nagini hissed wordlessly, before slithering closer.

 _"_ _And the others?"_ asked Nagini.

 _"_ _There are better protected,"_ said Voldemort, _"besides, as long as you remain safe, none can destroy me"._

Nagini flicked her tongue, tasting the air around her master.

 _"_ _You have an odd scent clinging to you,"_ said Nagini, _"something has been around you, hasn't it?"_

She knew. Nagini could pick up on the Dark Master's presence.

 _"_ _It is an… old friend,"_ said Voldemort, _"someone who was there for me when I was much younger. Someone who showed me the way to where I am now. It has warned me that our foes are moving against us, and offered a way to allow us to be victorious"._

Nagini coiled her body, and lifted up to look him right in the eye.

 _"_ _I do not like its scent,"_ said Nagini, _"It is something that I cannot properly explain. Somewhere, deep in my mind, its presence puts me on guard. I will trust your judgment, though"._

Once again, Voldemort felt a chill run down him spine. Nagini was deeply worried about the presence of the Dark Master. The fact that his familiar was troubled by its influence spoke volumes. There was still a chance that it might just be using him… no more than that. It was most certainly using him to a being as ancient and powerful as the Dark Master must have been, even he, with all his arcane might was nothing but an ant. It didn't matter though, it would get what it wanted, and he would get what he wanted. The Dark Master ran on a whole different level than him. He would play his part, and all would be as he envisioned it.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Next time, the adventure continues! See you then!


	27. Chapter 27: Halloween

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Given what time of year this chapter is being posted I thought it was only appropriate to reflect that in the story.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 27: Halloween

A new morning dawned at Hogwarts, and the halls were filled with the smell of pumpkins. While many were celebrating, Harry still couldn't… his mind remember all the bad things that his day had brought him in the past. As he wandered the halls, he passed the bathroom where he'd fought the troll, saw the place where the message about the chamber of secrets had been scrawled. And of course, he couldn't forget that this was the day that he'd lost his parents. Eventually, he passed Professor McGonagall in the halls.

"Mr. Potter, would you come with me please?" asked McGonagall.

"Why, what's going on?" asked Harry.

"Nothing worrying," said McGonagall, "just something we really should have done before".

Harry followed McGonagall, and she led him to Dumbledore's office. They went inside, where Dumbledore, Snape, and Vaerath were waiting for them.

"Ah, good! Thank you for bringing Mr. Potter," said Dumbledore.

McGonagall nodded curtly, and left.

"Now then, we should be underway swiftly," said Snape.

"Where are we going?" asked Harry.

"Godric's Hollow," said Dumbledore, "I think… you should visit them".

Harry realized what he meant. Godric's Hollow… his parent's grave.

"I see," said Harry, "let's go".

Dumbledore nodded solemnly, and grabbed the floo powder off the mantle.

"Godric's Hollow!" stated Dumbledore.

He stepped through, vanishing into the emerald flames.

Snape went next, and then it was Harry's turn.

"Godric's Hollow!" stated Harry.

He stepped into the flames, and a moment later emerged in a dimly lit tavern. Nearby, he saw Dumbledore and Snape. As he moved over to join them, the fireplace flared again, and Vaerath stepped out as well.

"A moment," said Dumbledore, "I'll put a Notice-me-Not spell on everyone".

He drew his wand, and a moment later a feeling like a cool wind washed over Harry. Once the spell had settled into place, their small group headed out. The streets of Godric's Hollow were quiet, with people going about their business. As they made their way along, Harry's eyes were draw to the blasted out remains of a small cottage. This was the place. This is where his parents gave their lives to save his.

They continued along, coming to a graveyard at the end of the road. It was surrounded by a low stone wall atop which stood a tall iron fence. They passed through the gate, and moved down the path, passing many memorials. Then, they came to it. The memorial wasn't anything overly grand, just a pair of headstones reading James Potter and Lily Potter. Snape stepped forwards, and placed a bouquet of flowers on Lily's grave before wordlessly stepping away. Harry approached the graves, and tried to think of something appropriate to say.

"Hi Mum, Dad," said Harry, "It's been awhile, hasn't it? 14 years now, since we were separated. I'm… doing alright I guess. Hogwarts has been quite the experience so far. I wonder how different it was from when you went there. I've got some good friends, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna... others too. These last few months have been particularly odd for me, discovering this power I have. I wonder how much you knew about it, assuming you were even aware of it. If you're listening, don't take this the wrong way, but I hope not to join you for a very long time. In all honesty, if I continue I'd just end up rambling. So, I guess goodbye for now. I hope that wherever you are, you're at peace".

Harry stood again, and rejoined his professors. He saw that Dumbledore was smiling softly, and Snape looked contemplative.

"I think that Lily and James would be proud of you, Harry," said Dumbledore.

"I hope so, Professor," said Harry.

"He's right Harry," said Vaerath, "you've shown great strength for your situation, and I know they're still keeping an eye on you. It's an old saying in the Dragon Realms, 'May the Ancestors watch over you', wishing another luck and safety in whatever situation they may find themselves it. With everything life has thrown at you, and how well you've managed to weather it, I have no doubt that your Ancestors are watching over you".

"We should be getting back soon," said Snape, "Are you ready?"

"Let's go," said Harry.

Their group made its way back across town, and back into the tavern. After passing through the Floo, they were back in Dumbledore's office. The other professors departed, leaving Harry with Dumbledore.

"Thank you this, Professor," said Harry.

"You are quite welcome," said Dumbledore, "I honestly don't know why we didn't to this for you several years ago. Now then, why don't you go find your friends? I'm sure they're looking for you".

Harry left Dumbledore's Office, and made his way towards the great hall in time for lunch. Moved to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Hermione.

"Harry, there you are!" said Hermione, "Where have you been?"

"Dumbledore took me to Godric's Hollow to visit… them," said Harry.

"You mean… Sorry mate," said Ron.

"Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong," said Harry, "besides, I'm sure they're still with me".

"What do you mean, Harry?" asked Hermione.

"Vaerath reminded me of an old saying from the Dragon Realms: 'May the Ancestors watch over you'," said Harry, "he reminded me that as long as I keep the knowledge of their love for me close, then I'm never alone".

"That's… actually a very pleasant concept," said Hermione, "how are you feeling?"

"Better than I expected," said Harry, "You know, I think this is the best Halloween I've had in a long while".

It was true: for once, he'd managed to get through a Halloween without something bad happening. No Dudley beating him up, no Trolls in the castle, no Basilisks petrifying students, no prison escapees attempting to break into the castle, and no Goblet of Fire. Just him, surrounded by his friends, sitting in solemn remembrance of those lost. All in all, it was a good day.

* * *

 **A/N:** For once, Harry is able to get through a Halloween without something going wrong. maybe the curse of this day for him is finally broken. I any case, thank you for reading, and have a happy Halloween!


	28. Chapter 28: The First Artifact

**A/N:** Well then let's see what Voldemort's been up to, shall we?

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 28: The First Artifact

Voldemort apparated to the place the Dark Master had directed him. It had taken some maneuvering, crossing international boarders without detection, but now he was here, in this canyon somewhere in the heart of Egypt. He knew he couldn't trust his Death Eaters with this mission. No… he had to do this himself. He oriented himself and moved along the ledge he was on. He soon found a cave leading into the canyon wall, and started inside. A simple _lumos_ guided his way as he moved deeper inside.

For a time, he wondered if this truly was the right place… there was nothing here but blank stone. Then he saw it: a well crafted illusion covering the passage deeper into this place. He moved through this passage, and noted that the stone in this area appeared the have been worked by someone's hands.

As he continued on, Voldemort noticed the walls had been carved into depictions of creatures, both ones he recognized and entities from the darkest of dreams. Ahead, he could see a doorway. He passed through it, entering a long hallway. The further he got down this hallway, the more he got the feeling he was in a place none had seen in many millennia. Eventually the hallway opened up to a massive cavern, and before him was his apparent destination: it resembled a step pyramid of black stone, attached upside-down to the ceiling of the cavern. This structure was accessible via a narrow bridge connected the hallway he'd passed though.

Voldemort made his way across the bridge, trying to ignore the dizzying plunge that would await him were he to misstep. He reached the pyramid, and started up the steep narrow passages within. He wasn't sure how many twists and turns he'd taken, but he had to assume that there must be some form of space expansion charm on this place… if there wasn't he'd be well above ground level by this point.

He got the sensation that something was very strange in this place, as he emerged onto a ledge near the top of the Pyramid. He was left to marvel at the powerful magic that must have been used to build this place, as he could only assume the builders must have somehow reversed gravity in this area. As he looked off the edge, he could see the bridge 'below' him, and 'above' him what should have been the floor of this cavern was the new ceiling, with crystals in the rock glittering like stars. He moved up (or was it down?) the last few steps the reach the 'top' of the pyramid.

There, sitting on an altar seeming formed naturally from the stone of this pyramid, was his goal. It was a staff of dark wood and metal, resting silently and awaiting for someone to pick it up. He knew enough not to blindly grab it, though. He cast a detection spell looking for any traps that might be present. There didn't appear to be any traps, but the staff seemed to radiate darkly, tendrils of shadowy magic slowly writhing across its surface. Voldemort picked up the staff. Instantly, a powerful presence washed over him, shattering his Legimency barriers with ease.

 _*FLASH*_

 _"_ _Is this the place?" said a voice._

 _The speaker, a broad shouldered robed figure stepped forwards. It was standing before a shine within a deep cave. Voldemort couldn't see many details of the area, other than the fact it was not the place he currently was. A second figure stepped into view, looking much like the first._

 _"_ _It must be… with the power of this artifact, their dominion over the realms will be ended… it will be our time to rise," said a second figure._

 _The first figure pulled back its hood, but he couldn't quite make out what sort of creature it was._

 _"_ _Yes, with this," said the creature, "the dragons will fall, and we shall crush the lesser races beneath our might!"_

 _*FLASH*_

Voldemort stumbled back, still clutching the staff. He tried to reconcile what he'd just seen. These creatures, these… whatever they were, what did the mean, 'the dragons will fall'? Everyone knew dragons were nothing but beasts… unless this artifact could do something to them. Perhaps it was used to change them somehow? Make them lesser than what they once were? No… he had a feeling that this creatures he'd witnessed were not from anywhere around here. There was something else, too: this staff seemed incomplete. It appeared that something was meant to be attached to one end, but he wasn't sure what.

In any case, there was nothing else for him to do here. Voldemort tried to apparate out, but found that he couldn't… this place must be heavily warded. He had no choice but to walk back the way he came. As he returned through the corridors of the pyramid, he noticed that the path seemed to have changed… he was sure that he has going a different way than he came in, but didn't remember passing any junctions. He tried turning back, only to discover after the corridor turned left four times that he was walking in circles. He continued on his original course, but the path seemed to have changed again. Eventually, he came to a larger room, lit by guttering braziers of greenish flames. In the center of the chamber was a huge statue of a serpent with six heads and clawed hands. In the dim, flickering light of the chamber, it almost looked like it was moving. The he heard a voice speaking in Parseltongue.

"So… the intruder into this place has arrived at last," hissed the voice, "why have you come to this sacred place?"

"I could ask you the same question," hissed Voldemort.

"Such insolence!" hissed the voice, "I know why you are here; you come to the take Forbidden One's staff. Do you know mortal, what it is you treat with? What kind of being you have sold yourself to?"

"I am no mortal," hissed Voldemort, "I am Lord Voldemort!"

"A meaningless name for an insignificant being," hissed the voice, "If you continue down this path, you will be destroyed… every part of you".

Voldemort took a step back at that. This… whatever it was knew. But… it couldn't do that, right? It was locked down here, and had been for countless millennia.

"Destoyed? By you?" hissed Voldemort.

"By me… by the Forbidden One, what does it matter really?" hissed the voice, "however, I can see your deep reverence for serpentkind, and I am feeling generous today. I shall make you a deal: put the staff down, and I shall allow you the leave with your false life intact. Is that fair?"

That actually did sound good, a perfectly reasonable request. But something was wrong. Voldemort could feel the tendrils of otherness caressing the edge of his perception, and shook it off. At the same time, he blinked at the statue… had it changed position?

"Did you really think I'd fall for that?" hissed Voldemort.

The voice sighed, than the replied, "I was offering you a fair deal, and yet you throw it away. Very well, then you shall only find death in this place!"

A wind rushed through the chamber as the doors slammed shut, briefly extinguishing the brazier. As the magical flames relit themselves, Voldemort saw that the statue was gone.

Voldemort scanned the room, realizing that there never had been a statue in this chamber… it was whatever he'd just been speaking to. The subtle scrape of scales against the floor was the only warning he had before it struck, tearing at him with its claws, but he barely dodged as it attempted to constrict and bite at him. He got a better view of his opponent, seeing it in its true beautiful, terrible glory. The heads of six different venomous snakes surmounted its thick body, twisting and twining between each other almost hypnotically. In another situation, he would of admired it, but now it wanted him dead.

" _AVADA KEDAVRA!"_ shouted Voldemort.

The jet of acid green light lanced towards the snake creature, and impacted its hide. It didn't fall. It didn't even flinch. It hissed at him, and he could tell that it was laughing.

"Was that supposed to do something?" said the creature, "You gaze upon perfection, mortal. Many have tried to slay me across the centuries. All have fallen and been consumed. You will be no different".

" _FIENDFYRE!_ " shouted Voldemort.

The flames blasted forth, and wrapped themselves around the creature. It began hissing in pain as it started burning, but it just looked angry. It slithered up to him again, and tried to tear into him with its claws and fangs, but Voldemort was ready with a shield spell, deflecting its blows. He stepped back, and prepared another spell, using that cutting curse Severus had developed.

 _"_ _SEPTUMSECTA!"_ Shouted Voldemort.

The blade of magical energy struck, but the creature didn't seem hampered by its injury. The creature hissed and its eyes flashed with power. For a moment, Voldemort saw himself, weak and completely muggle. He shook this illusion off, and readied to continue fighting. Meanwhile, the magical flames of his Fiendfyre continued to burn.

" _CRUCIO!"_ shouted Voldemort.

The Torture curse shot towards the creature, but seemed to have no effect.

"You are weak," said the creature, "your power is nothing compared to mine, Time to end this little game. I think you'd look better as a mouse!"

A pulse of magic shot towards him, but he fought off its effects. The creature slithered towards him once more, and in desperation he tired the Killing Curse once more.

" _AVADA KEDAVRA!"_ shouted Voldemort.

The jet of green light struck the creature, and its breath hitched, and it crumpled to the ground, dissolving into a massive number of snakes. They slithered away through small gaps in the stonework, through one stopped and stared at him with a hateful gaze before departing. The doors slowly ground open, and the exit to this place was revealed.

After a short time traversing the passages, He found himself back at the bridge. He briefly glanced back at the pyramid behind him, before departing. He didn't wish to linger in this place any longer than he needed to.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, Tom's playing with thing better left forgotten. I case you're wondering, the creature Voldemort fought here in technically immortal. As such the Killing Curse can't slay it permanently. In any case, that's it for now. Next time, the adventure continues! See you then!


	29. Chapter 29: The Ring

**A/N:** Well, I think it's about time we deal with another Horcrux. Let's get rid of the ring.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 29: The Ring

It was now mid-November, events at Hogwarts had reached relative state of calm, with Umbrage staying quiet, Snape being strict, but better than he had been in the past, and Vaerath continuing his lessons, both in regular classes as well as the extra studies. It was on an otherwise quiet weekend that Vaerath pulled Harry aside to speak with him in his office. When they arrived, Dumbledore there waiting for them.

"Harry, I am pleased to tell you we've got another lead on one of Voldemort's Horcruxes," said Vaerath.

"Good," said Harry, "where is it?"

"We've come across evidence that he may have hidden one in the home of the Gaunts, his mother's family," said Dumbledore, "The Gaunt family was once rather prominent, tracing their line back to a daughter of the Slytherin family. They're gone now, but their home remains. Albus wishes us to investigate".

"When are we going?" asked Harry, "the sooner it's gone, the better".

Vaerath smiled slightly, and then replied.

"I couldn't agree more," said Vaerath, "Normally, students aren't allowed off campus during the school term… except while under escort of a professor".

Harry returned his smirk, and the trio prepared to set out. They headed to the floo, and passed through to their destination. The headed down the street of a typical village, and then they saw it: squatting at the end of the street was an ugly little shack, seemingly composed of whatever junk they could throw together. As well, the sheer dark magic rolling off this place made Grimmald Place seem cheerful and inviting.

"Ah… this must be the place," said Vaerath, "Albus, you said you wished to avoid excess destruction if possible?"

"Yes, however given how stained this place is by dark magic, if it becomes too dangerous, we'll pull back and you'll have my permission to destroy this place," said Dumbledore.

Their trio approached the door, disarming the numerous curses and wards upon the front door. They pushed the door open, and were pushed back a step as the sheer malicious energy within the building struck them.

"I've seen some dark places, but none this bad," said Dumbledore, "That's strike one".

They stepped inside, and looked around the first room. It was no more inviting than the outside, the walls stained with the residue of arcane energies, potions, and whatever else had occurred in here. As well, the room seemed larger than the entire exterior shack.

"Space expansion charms," said Dumbledore, "at least that's normal".

They continued, heading for the door to the next room. When they tried to open it the door suddenly morphed, the wood splitting into a toothy maw. Vaerath reacted quickly, launching a fire spell at the door, burning it to ash.

"That's not normal," said Vaerath.

"Quite, strike two," said Dumbledore.

They moved through the doorway, entering a hallway leading deeper inside. The hall led them to a room whose floor seemed to be sloping downwards. The floorboards seemed to curve and warp towards a hole in the far wall. They couldn't see into the hole, only darkness. Vaerath pulled out the locket, and it pointed right at the hole. Dumbledore cast some detection spells, and frowned.

"I believe what we're looking for is in there," said Dumbledore, "but there are a wide variety of wards and curses surrounding it… including some I've never seen before. It's almost like the Horcrux has created a nexus of dark magic around it. This is not something we should spend too much time in proximity to. We'll likely need a curse-breaker to deal with this. Strike three, we need to get out of here".

When they turned back to leave they were alarmed the see the hallway they had just used had vanished. a quick check revealed it to not be an illusion: they were trapped here.

"That's... not good. What do we do now?" asked Harry.

"We might need to remove the Horcrux to disable this magical barrier. While someone could reach in there and pull the Horcrux out, there's no way to know what might happen to whoever did that," said Dumbledore, "And dismantling it would also be rather tricky".

"I have an idea. This is, as you concretion of particularly dark magic," said Vaerath, "In my experience, the best way to counter darkness is with light. Stand back".

Harry and Dumbledore did so, and Vaerath assumed his draconic form. It was a good thing the expansion charm on this place worked properly. He inhaled deeply, and spat out a beam of pure radiance. The darkness of the Gaunt Shack seemed to be trying to interfere with the breath attack, but it was repelled. The beam struck the wall, which it seemed to shatter, revealing a black mass. The mass and the light breath clashed, and for a moment Vaerath seemed to be winning, but then the dark mass pushed back, emitting a beam of darkness to counter his light… and it was slowly pushing it back. Something needed to be done, something needed to change.

Harry closed his eyes, and thought of what light meant to him. Not just illumination, but also often a symbol of purity, of life, He knew this power... he embraced it, let it flow through him. Without thinking about it, he changed into his dragon form, and spat forth a beam of light, adding his power to Vaerath's. With their combined efforts, the darkness was pushed back, and the mass began disintegrating under their combined efforts.

With one final burst of power, the dark mass completely crumbled, revealing a ring with a red stone on it. As they stopped firing their breath attacks, the ring fell to the ground, looking innocuous. However, all present knew better. Harry could _smell_ the fell energies seeping from the metal. The stone, on the other hand seemed untainted. Dumbledore moved over to examine the ring, and for a moment seemed transfixed by it. He then shook his head, and stepped back.

"Use caution," said Dumbledore, "There's still some form of compulsion on that ring. It tried to lure me to put it on".

"Fire it is then," said Vaerath, "Harry, do you want to do the honors?"

Harry stepped closer, and unleashed his fire breath on the ring. The ring was swiftly consumed, and a shrieking specter flew out of the melting metal. It swiftly flew towards Harry, meaning him scant moments to react. He cast the first spell he could think of that might help.

" _EXPECTO PATRONUM!_ " shouted Harry.

Instead of summoning his patronus like he expected, the energy of his spell wrapped around him like a second skin. The specter struck the barrier and bounced off. Harry noticed that it seemed damaged by his shield. Realizing this, Harry brought his tailblade to bear, and slashed it through the specter. He half expected it to go right through without effect, but he could feel it striking something solid, and watched as the specter was destroyed.

Harry felt some place a hand on his shoulder, and Harry turned to see Dumbledore standing over him. As harry looked to see where the ring had once been, all that was left was the stone that had once been affixed to the ring. It seemed completely undamaged, despite have just been bathed in dragon fire. Dumbledore bent down, and picked up the stone, looking it over carefully.

"Good work Harry," said Dumbledore, "let's get out of here. I'll send someone to clear this place out later".

"Who are you planning on sending?" asked Vaerath.

"I think Alastor might be the best option," said Dumbledore, "Have you met Alastor yet?"

"You mean Moody?" said Vaerath, "Mr. 'Constant Vigilance'? If anyone of this world can clear this place out, it would be him".

"Well then, this has been quite the excursion gentlemen," said Dumbledore, "but we should be getting back soon".

With that, they left the Gaunt Shack, making their way back to Hogwarts.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Now, there's only one Horcrux unaccounted for. Remember Nagini is with Tom, The Locket is in Dumbledore's possession, and can be destroyed whenever they're ready, and Harry, well we know where he is. The Locket and Nagini will likely be the last two Horcuxes to fall. Anyway, next time, the adventure continues! See you then! For now, I must go reacquaint myself with an a certain purple dragon.


	30. Chapter 30: Elnos

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! I thought with the Spyro Reignited Trilogy now out, I'd do a chapter involving that Purple Dragon, seeing as I now have more experience with that part of the series.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 30: Elnos

It was another thankfully quiet day at Hogwarts, and Harry found himself with some spare time on his hands. Time well spent catching up on the histories of the previous Purple Dragons. The Guardians had been kind enough allow him to borrow a few book form their archives, so long as he kept them safe. He reached for his options, and pulled out a book about Elnos, the 10th Purple Dragon, written by Alban of the Artisans.

 _Much could be said about Elnos. His adventures were many and storied. It the time he hatched, dragonkind had become largely sequestered in secluded realms, and reorganized themselves into a series of clans based off of talents: The Artisans, skilled in the creation of many of the greatest artistry our world has ever seen, The Peacekeepers, adamant warriors and defenders of the realms, The Magic Crafters, masters of the arcane arts, The Beastmakers, with skills at breathing life into many of the animals of our realms, and The Dreamweavers, With skills in mind magic, the defended the young of the realm from nightmare creatures._

 _While many debate which of these clans Elnos was part of, he grew up among the Artisans. His life was changed forever when a creature known as Gnasty Gnorc attacked the dragons of the realms, turning all of them, with the exception of Elnos, into statues. It was on that day that Elnos began to learn what he could do, and bravely went forth into the realms, saving the Dragon Elders and defeating Gnasty Gnorc._

 _His next adventure came when in the distant land of Avalar, a small group were attempting to open a portal to the Dragon Realms. Elnos emerged from the portal, and learned of their troubles caused by a creature known as Ripto. He jumped at the chance to aid them, being the noble hero he was, and journeyed across Avalar and eventually defeated Ripto._

 _His third adventure came some time later, during the next hatching season. As was tradition, the mother dragons had placed their eggs under the care of the elders of the Realm. Unfortunately, in this case someone came to steal the eggs for thir own dark purpose. They sent an unwitting agent who'd the fooled into trusting them. Elnos pursued this agent, arriving in the distant region known as the Forgotten Worlds, a land that was once our home. Once there, Spyro and his allies, including Hunter, a cheetah he'd befriended during his time in Avalar, tracked down the stolen eggs and defeated the evil sorceress. In the aftermath, the unwitting agent became a new ally of Elnos, and would help him again in the future. Beyond this…_

The book went on the describe more of Elnos' adventures, and Harry was left amazed at everything he'd gone through in such a relatively short time. By the time Harry finished reading, It was getting late, so he put the book away and went to bed.

* * *

Harry's Dream

As he slept, Harry's mind slipped into a dream of the Dragon Realms. He was in his dragon form, looking out from a cave mouth looking out over a beach and nearby town. The buildings were quite large, big enough for full grown dragons. He ever though he saw a theme park in the distance.

"Greetings young one," said a voice.

Harry turned to look, and emerging from the archway of portal behind him was another Purple Dragon. It wasn't Spyro, his horns and spinal ridges were a different shape.

"Uh, hello," said Harry.

"Good to have a chance to meet the newest member of our extended family," said the dragon, "I'm Elnos".

"I… I was just reading about you," said Harry.

"Let me guess, Alban's work?" asked Elnos.

"Yeah, how'd you guess?" asked Harry.

Elnos sighed, and then answered.

"Alban sometimes… stretched the truth a bit in his writings," said Elnos, "I've seen that book, and I know he made me seem a lot braver than I really was".

Harry noticed he seemed more casual in demeanor that Spyro had been.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"Let's start with my first adventure," said Elnos, "Gnasty Gnorc did turn all the dragons except me into statues. At the time, I thought it was sheer luck that caused me to escape the same fate. But really, who could be brave after seeing everyone you knew, the closest thing you have to family seemingly destroyed before your eyes? I was terrified. I approached the Artisan leader, Nestor, not quite believing what had just happened. Imagine my surprise when my powers as a Purple Dragon activated for the first time, returning Nestor to his living state. Oh, I put on a show of bravado, but it was just that: an act. How was I, a child, intended to take on someone who could defeat the elders so easily?"

"Yet you managed it," said Harry.

"That I did," said Elnos, "after this, the elders decided I was ready to learn about my destiny. They pulled out the kore about the Purple Dragons who came before me, and I realized then why they had been pushing me to learn all I could. All the same, they knew that some, like Spyro, always bore the marks of having their destinies pushed upon them so early in life. They went out of their way to insure I would have a happy childhood".

"What about your other adventures?" asked Harry.

"Well, my trip to Avalar was either fate deciding to mess with me or simply poor timing on my part," said Elnos, "It had been cold, rainy, and all around dour for some time, so I had decided to take a trip to Dragon Shores, where I could enjoy some warm weather. At the same time in Avalar, my soon to be allies were attempting to open a portal to the Dragon Realms because they sought a dragon to aid them against Ripto, who they'd accidentally pulled from his realm. They were probably expecting one of the Elders. They got me instead. It just so happened that defeating Ripto and his forces were the only way for me to get home".

"And your third adventure?" asked Harry.

"I was the one to pursue the egg thieves as I was to only dragon small enough to fit into the tunnels they used to escape," said Elnos, "Though I will admit by this point I had grow up a bit, emotionally, and the courage I show was less of a front. That and I was legitimately mad at the attackers for stealing the eggs. Of course, I did learn that one of these thieves, a rabbit named Bianca had been tricked into this task by the evil sorceress. Said Sorceress was also the one responsible for banishing dragonkind for their original home, to the land I grew up in. I took the Sorceress down as well, but only with the aid for my allies. I doubt I could have done it without them".

"Is there anything else you wish to share with me?" asked Harry.

"Oh yes, my point is, you shouldn't let you fears hold you back," said Elnos, "I may never have been the mightiest for our kind, but I managed to achieve victory nevertheless on numerous occasions. Oh, one last thing: if an oversized bird tells you to go on a trolley ride to collect his lost items, _don't_ do it. It's more trouble than it's worth".

With those final words, the world grew indistinct as the dream began to fade.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Yeah, I couldn't resist a reference to everyone's _favorite_ mission. Before you ask... yes, I did complete that mission. Anyway, next time, the adventure continues! See you then!


	31. Chapter 31: The Second Artifact

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Time for Voldemort to go delving into ancient places again, meddling in things he doesn't fully understand. As a result, extra long chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 31: The Second Artifact

The distinct _crack_ of apparition signaled Voldemort's arrival at his next destination. This time, he was somewhere deep in the Amazon Rainforest, and this time he wasn't alone. Nagini slithered up beside him, tongue flicking out as she tasted the air. He didn't wish to risk her safety by binging her along, but she threated to bite Lucius if he didn't bring her.

 _"_ _I smell nothing but the jungle around us, Master,"_ hissed Nagini, _"Are you certain thus is our destination?"_

 _"_ _There are likely wards on our destination that prevent us from apparating directly to the temple,"_ hissed Voldemort, _"But the journey should not be a long one"_

The dark wizard and his familiar started pushing their way through the jungle. It was slow going, the path they were following was chocked with vine and dense undergrowth, but eventually they came upon their destination. In an unexpected clearing within the jungle, they discovered an ancient city. The design of the buildings looked similar to other ancient cites of this part of the world, with building assembled from carefully and precisely stacked stones, requiring no mortar. Presiding over this was a massive step pyramid. Other than the general wear from the passage of time, this site looked untouched.

Voldemort could only assume that there must have been muggle-repelling wards around this place, otherwise it would have been raided. That didn't explain why this place hadn't been explored by other wizards in the past. He put these speculations aside as he made for the entrance to the main temple. The pair headed inside, moving cautiously. They found a staircase leading deeper into the earth, spiraling into the darkness below. As they made their way along, Voldemort took note of the symbols on the walls, not recognizing what they depicted. There were images of people, that much he understood, and they were kneeled in reverence to another figure, this one larger and wearing an ornate headdress. This clearly was some sort of tribal leader or god figure, possibly representing both.

They continued deeper, passing a depiction of a feathered serpent opposing some sort of eel-like creature with multiple heads, which had a dark mass above it. Obviously, it was depicting the legends and lore to the people who once resided here. They wound deeper still, and eventually came to a cavern. Above, Voldemort could just see the ends of stalactites hanging from the ceiling, A rope bridge spanned the cavern, connecting to a doorway carved into the side of a natural column. Despite its likely ancient construction, the rope bridge showed no signs of fraying. The pair crossed the bridge, and entered the doorway. It was at this point that this place stopped being so normal. The outside circumference of the column meant that the passage though it should have emerged from the far side rather quickly, but instead the passage extended far further than the physical space should have allowed.

This corridor turned a corner, and started angling down, steeper and steeper, yet gravity seemed to rotate with it. After some distance, the corridor rotated back to the proper direction, and the pair found themselves in corridor with swirling patterns carved into the walls. There were side chambers, but they contained little of interest: most seemed to be bedchambers. Overhead, they could see they were on the floor of a large cavern, though the ceiling was too distant to see.

 _"_ _We shouldn't be here,"_ hissed Nagini quietly.

 _"_ _What do you mean?"_ asked Voldemort.

" _This place… the air tastes wrong. There's something here, something ancient and powerful,"_ hissed Nagini.

" _Then we must be getting close,"_ hissed Voldemort, _"not much further now"._

Nagini looked on at her wizard. She wasn't sure what to think of his recent actions. He'd been acting strange recently, muttering to himself about 'finding it'. She didn't know what was going on with her master, but she knew that staff he brought back smelled of wrongness. Her master had clearly discovered a new way to defeat his foes, and was obsessing over it. One thing Nagini did know: no matter what, she would stay at his side. He was her master, and no one would take him away.

The pair continued through this ancient temple-city, passing the main altar room and continuing into the dark corridor beyond, their path lit only by enchanted sconces on the walls, casting dim illumination upon the walls. After many more twists and turns, the entered another cavern, featuring a step pyramid resting in the waters of a subterranean lake. The waters quietly lapped against the sides of the pyramid, the sound echoing through the chamber. Voldemort climbed the steps to the top of the pyramid, and for a moment Nagini through she heard movement, something splashing in the lake, but she saw and smelled nothing. At the top, Voldemort found a item, a filigree of silvery metal which looked like it could attach to the end of his staff. He reach out and grasped the metal piece, only for his mind to be assaulted with images.

 _Voldemort saw an ape creature in a circular chamber illuminated by braziers of green flame. The ape was clutching a staff similar but not identical to his own and topped with a green crystal. From a hole in the ceiling, a small purple scaled dragon glided down, landing on main floor. The ape stood from his throne, and brandished his staff._

 _"_ _Ah, the guest of honor arrives," said the Ape, "please, have a seat!"_

 _The crystal atop the staff flared with power, and the dragon writhed as some sort of energy was drained from it._

 _"_ _I wouldn't miss it, Gaul," said the dragon._

 _"_ _You're just in time to see our master rise, dragon," said the ape, "of course, there's our other guest…"_

 _From the shadows, another small form leapt out. It tackled the purple dragon, but seemed to do no damage. Voldemort recognized that this other creature was also a dragon, scales black as night. It was of similar size to the purple one. The two dragons faced each other, looking ready for a fight._

 _"_ _Cynder, what are you doing?" asked the purple dragon._

 _"_ _Just like old times, huh Spyro? replied Cynder who then added in a whisper, "Same as last time: Line me up with his staff!"_

 _The two dragons circled each other, putting on a show for effect. Once Cynder was aligned with Gaul, she leapt forwards, missing Spyro and going straight for the ape… only to be caught by the neck at the last moment._

 _"_ _This isn't over!" snarled Gaul._

 _He tossed Cynder into one of the columns supporting the room, knocking her out. He then leapt down to the main floor, pulling out a pair of massive scimitars._

This first vision faded, but a new one took its place.

 _Voldemort saw a brutish, green-skinned creature sitting in a darkened room, whating what looked like a muggle television. The screen was displaying a dragon, standing upright. Voldemort realized they were giving some sort of interview._

 _"…_ _and what about this G-nasty G-norc?" said the interviewer._

 _A new dragon stepped into frame, and replied._

 _"_ _Gnasty Gnorc is a simple creature" said the dragon_

 _"_ _Simple!?" shouted the green skinned creature. Voldemort realized he was that one they were talking about._

 _"_ _He is safely contained at the edge of our realm where he poses no threat," said the dragon._

 _"_ _No threat!?" shouted Gnasty Gnorc._

 _"_ _That, and he's ugly, too," said the dragon_

 _"_ _Ugly!?" shouted Gnasty Gnorc, "That's it!"_

 _Gnasty Gnorc stood up, and grabbed a large warhammer topped with a green crystal, similar to the one on Gaul's staff. He brandished it, and a bolt of magic flew out, striking the dragons and turning them into crystal statues. As he watched, Voldemort saw the spell strike a small purple dragon as well, only to deflect off as he fled for the nearest cover. Voldemort observed that his was not the same dragon from before: there were slight differences in its appearance._

Another scene presented itself.

 _A collection of bizarre creatures stood before an archway in a valley full of massive gemstones. They included a mole creature wearing thick glasses, a spotted, humanoid feline, and a faun. Before the mole, there were two green orbs._

 _"_ _Just a few more adjustments and," said the mole, "that should do it!_

 _The orbs lifted into the air under their own power, and the archway filled with rippling energy. Suddenly, a small purple dragon looking just like the one form the previous vision shot out, landing hard._

 _"_ _Woah, rough landing," said the dragon, "do any of you know where to find the… beach?"_

 _A short time later, a new figure presented itself, a short reptilian creature with a single central horn. It was riding atop a large green beast, and wielding a scepter topped by a red jewel. He attempted to blast the dragon with a beam of magic, but it dodged, and any further shots were prevented by a pixie stealing his scepter. The creature's mount tired to stop the fae, but only ended up eating the scepter._

A fourth image presented itself.

 _Voldemort saw a bipedal blue-green creature with an alligator's snout wielding a staff topped with an egg. It was facing off against the same purple dragon from the last two visions, blasting away with bolts of magic in a heated battle. This creature smirked, and fired a spell on a new trajectory, leaving the dragon to roll out of the way._

The series of visions faded, and as he checked his surroundings, Voldemort saw that the metal filigree had attached itself to the end of his staff. He realized he still was missing one thing: something place within this fitting to complete the staff.

With what he came for, Voldemort and Nagini started making their way back to the surface. As they went, neither could shake the feeling they were being watched. When they reached the large open space near the altar, they discovered they weren't the only one down here. Before them was a brown haired man in a khaki shirt and shorts, arms crossed before him. On his hip was a revolver as well as a journal. In one hand, he held a large green apple, which he was eating.

"You," said the man between bites, "you do not belong here".

"What makes you so sure?" sneered Voldemort, this man was clearly a muggle.

"Oh, I know _mage_ ," said the man, "Long ago, an… ancestor of mine was a guardian of this place. Your intrusion alerted me to your presence. I also know that you have already stolen from another place. If I were you, I'd drop the staff".

Something about this man seemed off to Voldemort, and he examined him more closely. His garb gave no clues, but there was something in his eyes, something far more ancient than should be possible.

"I think not," said Voldemort, "you have no way to stop me, muggle".

The man chuckled, a strange edge to his voice… wait, were his eyes _yellow_ for a moment?

"It truly would be best for all if you complied. This is your second warning. You will only be warned once more by another before you are forever consigned to your fate," said the man, "you know not what you treat with… to obey it is to doom the world to be consumed by the Taint".

"Nice try, but you're just speaking nonsense," said Voldemort, "I have only one thing to say: _AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

The man waved his hand, and a stone block rose from the floor, obstructing the spell.

"Really, is that what they're calling an incantation nowadays?" said the man.

He then spoke a phrase in a language Voldemort didn't know, but we could _feel_ the power behind them. He grasped his head as he felt a wave of confusion washed over him.

 _"_ _You dare harm my master!?"_ hissed Nagini.

"Well, that's a language I've not heard in a while," said the man, who then added in parseltongue, _"Why do you serve this one?"_

 _"_ _You will get nothing from me, human,"_ hissed Nagini.

As Voldemort cleared his mind, he heard the man laughing again. He finished his apple, tossed the core aside, and placed his pistol on a small shelf set into the wall.

"You're out of your depth, mage," said the man, "and you, serpent… you should mind your betters!"

With those words, the man began to _change_. His body grew considerably, becoming long and snake-like, his face extended into a snout covered in a mix of scales and feathers, from his back, a pair of wings covered in vibrantly hued feathers grew. the resulting creature stood upon four delicate looking legs, but closer examination revealed to them to be quite strong. Overall, it looked like a mix between a Coatl and a more traditional dragon. Intelligent yellow eyes stared down at the pair.

"I will not ask again," growled the dragon, "drop the staff, and you shall be allowed to leave with your life. Refuse and you will meet your end at my claws. What say you?"

Voldemort realized he was truly out of his depth. He'd never heard of anyone with this sort of ability. Definitely not an animagus, or a Therianthrope of any sort… no, the raw sense of _power_ rolling off this creature marked it as something different. At this point, none of this mattered. It was his enemy, and he needed to destroy it.

" _FIENDFYRE!_ " shouted Voldemort.

The dragon looked at him, smirked, and said one word: "No". As Voldemort watched, his spell fizzled out. The dragon had yet to move, opting to simply exude an intimidating aura. Nagini moved in to assault their foe, but her mind was clouded by fear, and she missed. Dragon lifted a forelimb, and Nagini tried to slither away, but with a deft strike, it plucked her from the ground, grasping her between two claws right behind the head. She tried to wriggle free, but the claws simply gripped her tighter. It lifted her higher, and seemed to examine her.

"Intriguing," said the dragon, "you have turned this serpent into a phylactery? An unusual, and rather poor choice, mage. All it would take to destroy a portion of your soul would be to tighten my grasp".

Voldemort knew he needed to react swiftly, and chose is next spell, aiming at Nagini.

" _REDUCIO!_ " Voldemort shouted.

Nagini shrank quickly, and slipped from the dragon's grasp.

" _ACCIO NAGINI!"_ shouted Voldemort.

The spell caught Nagini, and pulled her into his waiting grasp. He lowered Nagini to the ground, and canceled the diminution spell. He examined Nagini. And saw that had the dragon tightened its grip, Nagini would have perished. The dragon looked on for a moment, and then smirked.

"Ah, so you do still have the capacity to care for another, despite how withered your heart is by your malice," said the dragon, "perhaps you _can_ still turn from this path, if you fell for that bluff".

"You… a bluff!?" said Voldemort.

"Well, I certain could destroy her if I so desired," said the dragon, "but I will not, at least though that method. It you manage to defeat me, then in the next ancient place you seek out, you will meet another. One who will offer you one last chance to turn from the path you now walk, If you so desire it. But that is not now. Now, we fight for real!"

The dragon leapt into motion, and Voldemort swiftly dodged away, but was still raked by its claws.

" _SECTUMSEMPRA_!" shouted Voldemort,

The dark cutting curse impacted the dragon's flank, leaving a deep wound. Nagini struck with her fangs, the magic which infused her allowed her bite to penetrate its hide, and inject her powerful venom. The dragon took a step back, and breathed deeply for a moment. Before Voldemort's eyes, the wounds inflicted began to heal, and Nagini's venom was ejected from the wound, falling to the floor with a muted hiss.

"I don't go down that easily, mage," said the dragon.

Voldemort and Nagini shared a glance, saw that there was no door, no magical barrier, nothing preventing them for leaving, and made their decision: they couldn't defeat this creature, not here, not here or now. It would simply regenerate any damage they dealt. Instead, they fled, Voldemort launching a parting strike as they went.

" _CRUCIO!_ " shouted Voldemort.

The dragon snarled in pain, and watched him hurry up the impossibly steep passage. They noticed the path seemed slicker than they remembered, and nearly fell but made it to the top. They rushed out onto the rope bridge. Their progress was halted as a powerful gust of wind washed over them, forcing Voldemort to grasp tightly to the sides. Flying next to them was the dragon, each flap of its wings buffeting the bridge. It inhaled deeply, and spat a bolt of lightning their way. They did their best to evade, given their limited movement options but were still damaged by the dragon's breath. Voldemort looked again, and saw that the dragon looked tired. Maybe, just made it would work this time.

" _AVADA KEDAVRA!_ " shouted Voldemort.

The killing curse struck true, and the dragon seemed to slump and started losing altitude. He knew better than to stay here any longer, and hurried for the far end of the bridge. As he reached the far end, he spared a look back. For a moment, he saw nothing, but then, a crack of stone as a clawed forelimb emerged over the ledge. Slowly rising from the depths of the cavern was the dragon. It was definitely worse for wear, but it saw still alive. Voldemort didn't wish to continue this battle, so he and Nagini rushed out of these tunnels, emerging on the surface.

Now outside, the two of them caught their breath.

 _"_ _Master… what was that?"_ asked Nagini.

 _"_ _I don't know,"_ replied Voldemort after a moment of thought, _"I truly don't know"._

nagini slithered closer, and together, the pair apparated away from this place, back to relative safety.

* * *

 **A/N:** That's two portions of the staff acquired, only one left to go. What Voldemort fought in this chapter is nothing seen in this story previously, but is an overall good being. What might be guarding the third site? only time will tell. Next time, the adventure continues! See you then!


	32. Chapter 32: Old Magic

**A/N:** Welcome back! Before we go any further, many reviewers wanted a explanation on how that creature Voldemort fought in the last chapter survived. Simply put it was very powerful and possessed a legendary ability called 'Undying Serpent'. Despite the name, this power does _not_ make the one who has it immortal. rather it simply grants it the ability to expend magic to self-heal from any sort of attack, including being able to restore the user to life. However in doing so, it was forced to expend more or less all the magic it had left to use at the time. So, if Voldemort _had_ fired off another spell at that point, this creature would have died. The thing to remember is that, despite all his posturing, Voldemort (at least in my opinion) is extremely afraid of dying. Why else would he create so many Horcruxes? So, when he saw this creature getting back up for seemingly being slain, he'd not want to stick around. For more information on this ability, look up a tabletop RPG called 'Fireborn'. To those worried that this is really overpowered, it can be. The thing is though, neither Vaerath or Harry know this ability, and therefore can't use it, nor are the likely to learn it any time soon. The creature Voldemort fought is, in essence an endangered species, so the chance they'll encounter on is extremely low. I hope this clears some things up.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 32: Old Magic

Harry awoke with a start. As he scanned the room, he realized that he was in the relative safety of Hogwarts. As he worked to calm himself, He tried to remember what had awoken him. It wasn't a bad dream, it was something else… a feeling deep within himself that something, somewhere had called out to him. It felt like a warning… but a warning of what?

He got up from bed, and looked out the window. The pale face of the moon stared back, resting within the cloudless sky. He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't put that feeling out of his mind. Why was this though troubling him so?

He tried to get back to sleep, but his mind was still mulling over that strange sensation. As such, he didn't sleep much more this night. The morning came, and Harry dragged himself downstairs for breakfast. While there, he noticed that Vaerath looked tired as well. Classes proceeded as usual, until it came time for DADA. Harry decided to ask the professor what if anything he knew that might help.

"Vaerath," asked Harry, "you look tired. Did something happen?"

"I could ask you the same question, Harry," said Vaerath, "I believe something has occurred involving some powerful creature within this realm. It may have been tried to call out to us".

"Why?" asked Harry.

"I believe it may be related to this world's Dark Lord problem," said Vaerath, "We can speak more in my office later".

Their conversation was brought to an abrupt halt as the rest of the class arrived. The class session passed without incident, but Harry was still thinking of the possibilities. As the class filed out, Harry made his way to Vaerath's office. The professor in question soon arrived and the entered the privacy of his office.

"Now then," said Vaerath, "Snape's reported that Voldemort has been behaving odd recently… stranger than usual, I assume. As well, he's reported that Voldemort's now in possession of staff of dark wood. I wonder… tell me what you felt, Harry".

Harry though back on it, remembering the few small details he could recall.

"I remember a large, cavernous space," said Harry, "a man turning into a massive dragon, and a… presence. I don't know how to describe it, but all I know is that it felt malicious".

"Yes, that correlates with what I felt too," said Vaerath, "I know what it is, and you are correct: it's not good. This… entity is known to us as the Dark Master. No one knows where it came from, or even what it truly is, but it's been interested in our kind since ancient times".

"How long ago are we talking?" asked Harry.

"You've familiarized yourself with the tales of several of our kind," said Vaerath, "but one you may have not heard much about is the tale of the First Purple Dragon. Whether it was his original name on not, what tales remain of him refer to him as Malefor. He may have done great things, may have been able to be an exemplar that all our kind could follow… had the Dark Master not interfered. It is believed that at some point the Dark Master corrupted his heart and mind, twisting him into creature of great malice. He sowed death and destruction across the lands, forcing the Dragon Elders of his time to seal him away within the void of Convexity".

"That's not the end of the story, is it?" asked Harry.

"No, it is not," said Vaerath, "As you know, our kind are incredibly powerful, and even the full might of the Elders couldn't keep him sealed forever. He inevitably managed to reach out, tainting the minds of others. This occurred in the time just before Spyro would hatch. From there… well, you already know the tale of Spyro, of how he defeated Malefor, and locked him away once more, his own power forming a stronger seal".

"And the Dark Master?" asked Harry.

"It slipped away into the shadows, awaiting another chance to destroy the world," said Vaerath, "since then, it's been plotting its own dark agenda. Those who serve it reemerge time and time again. Dark Wizards, Sorcerers, and Warlocks, other dragons, the list goes on. You read some of my own history Harry, While the one I battled, Xyndriem the Pure, was even in his youth a troubled soul, The Dark Master nurtured that in him, warping him into a truly terrifying monster. From what I've experienced, it even managed to absorb some measure of the power of Aether from its time influencing Malefor. It's used this at times to create a simulacrum of our powers. It's a pale imitation at best, but still quite powerful".

"So… I guess it's coming after me then?" said Harry, "great… as if Voldemort wasn't bad enough".

"Don't forget you have me, Harry," said Vaerath, "It is not often that two Purple Dragons get a chance to meet. One of us alone is enough to severely weaken it. But the two of us together…"

"Are you saying we could destroy it?" asked Harry.

"Perhaps, nothing about this is certain," said Vaerath, "I don't know if it _can_ be destroyed. As I said, this is a being older than the realms, predating anything known. But there is a possibility we could at very least seal it way so that it cannot trouble out kind again. With these developments, we need to step up your training. Take this book, study it well. Next time we meet for the study group, I'm going start teaching you a different kind of magic. I know this is a lot to think about… Ancestors, is it a lot to think about. But, we can do this, Harry, I know it. Now then, Harry, you better get going. I know for a fact you've got assignment you still need to complete".

Harry left Vaerath's office and returned to his dorm. For the rest of the week, he was thinking about what this new kind of magic might be. The book Vaerath had given him was filled with various runes and symbols which seemed to be part of casting spells. Eventually the weekend came, and Harry joined the others in the study group. They entered the Room of Requirement, which had converted itself into a training room again. Vaerath stepped in front of the group, and addressed them.

"Today, I want you to keep practicing the spells you started working on last time. Harry and I will be working on a special project," said Vaerath.

"A special project? Can I help?" asked Hermione with excitement.

"I admire your enthusiasm, Ms. Granger," said Vaerath with a kind smile, "but unfortunately, only two people in this room right now are capable of practicing this particular magical art, as it requires the caster to possess a tail. Harry, if you would?"

Harry took his cue, and assumed his dragon form. Vaerath did the same.

"I will still be keeping an eye on you, so no attempting things we've yet to practice," said Vaerath, "now Harry, this particular type of magic reached greatest usage during the time of Elnos. Unfortunately, due to it requiring a certain level of deftness in moving one's tail, it fell out of major usage since then, but still has its place. We will begin with a relatively simple spell to allow one to remotely move objects".

"Alright, what do I do?" asked Harry.

"As I mentioned before, these spells are cast using your tail," said Vaerath as he lifted his own tail, "follow my lead".

The tip of Vaerath's tail glowed with mystical power, and as he move his tail. he drew a pair of horizontal lines in the air. The lines seemed to affect a inactive dummy across the room, lifting it up and moving it around.

"Now, you try," said Vaerath.

Harry recalled the symbols he studied, and realized that the spell Vaerath had cast was a simplified version of the runes. Harry concentrated on the magic behind those symbols, and started casting. He drew the lines in the air. They weren't as cleanly drawn as Vaerath's but it seemed to work anyway. Another dummy was lifted up and deposited in a different spot.

"Good!" said Vaerath, "let's try different spell… like this one!"

Vaerath positioned his tail again, and with three quick movements, drew a shape Harry knew as well... a shape Harry saw every time he looked in the mirror. The lightning bolt shape took effect, as a storm cloud appeared over a dummy, and a bolt of lightning struck down, blasting it away.

"Your turn," said Vaerath.

Harry turned to face his target, focused his magic, and drew the symbol. This one was better drawn, and took effect a bit faster. The lightning struck down, destroying the dummy. As he glanced over, he saw that the others had stopped to watch them.

"Excellent!" said Vaerath, "now then, let's try something a bit more difficult. For this next spell we will require some assistance. Ms. Granger, perhaps you can aid us with this?"

"How can I help?" asked Hermione.

"The next spell we're going to practice is defensive in nature, and as such the best way to practice is to have something to defend yourself against," said Vaerath, "if cast correctly, this spell will reflect one cast at you back at the caster".

"Well how about a Tickling Charm?" asked Hermione, "that should be safe enough for all involved".

"True, but don't underestimate the effectiveness of such a spell," said Vaerath, "If your opponent is too busy laughing, they can't attack you, can they?"

Hermione thought for a moment, and then nodded. Harry could see she'd come up with new plans.

"Now then," said Vaerath, "when you're ready, cast your spell, and I will attempt to block it. If successful, you'll be the one laughing instead of me".

Hermione cast her spell, and Vaerath reacted by drawing an 'X' shape with his tail. A moment later, a shimmering barrier appeared in front of him, catching Hermione's spell and reflecting it. Hermione was struck by her own spell, and started laughing. One countercharm later, she was back to normal.

"Harry, it's your turn now," said Vaerath.

Harry stepped forwards, and readied himself. Hermione cast her spell, and Harry copied motions Vaerath had made. The 'X' he drew was very rough, and as Hermione's spell flew towards him, his spell fizzled out. He was struck and fell to the floor laughing. The spell was swiftly canceled, and he got back to his feet, and looked around, expecting disappointment from his professor. Instead he was smiling.

"Not bad for a first try, Harry," said Vaerath.

"But I failed," Said Harry, "it didn't work".

"As I said before, this spell is more difficult that the others I had you practice," said Vaerath, "I didn't expect you to get it on the first try. I certainly didn't when I was first learning this type of casting. You certainly didn't fail. You show promise, and just need more practice to improve your skills. Now then, let's adjourn for now. You all did well today. Harry, I'd like you to keep studying that book I gave you. With continued practice, you will certainly be able to master this art".

Both Harry and Vaerath returned to the human forms, and the group left the room. Harry knew Vaerath was right, he could this, he just needed more practice.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Harry has begun to expand his repertoire of spells to include ancient spells of the Dragon Realms. Next time, the adventure continues, see you then!


	33. Chapter 33: Undercover

**A/N** : And here's the next chapter! Let's look in on a meeting of the Death Eaters. shall we?

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 33: Undercover

Severus Snape appeared with a _crack_ outside of Malfoy Manor. Even though he'd already solidly decided which side he was on, he still needed to continue acting for both sides for now. He headed inside to join the meeting of the Death Eaters. Around him were many familiar faces. Voldemort entered the room, bearing what looked to be an incomplete staff.

"Severus, so glad you could join us," said Voldemort.

"My Lord," said Snape.

"You've been quiet lately, Severus," said Lucius, "what are you up to?"

"Dumbledore has been more proactive with oversight of his faculty, myself included," said Snape, "I must act cautiously".

"Tell me what you've learned of this newest professor," said Voldemort.

"Vaerath Draconis," said Snape, "from what I've been able to learn, he is a member of an ancient family. He takes his job quite seriously, and helps tutor students to aid their understanding. Beyond that, I have been unable to glean much information about him or his family".

"Draconis?" said Lucius, "that… is a very old name".

"It sounds vaguely familiar," said Voldemort, "refresh me".

"House Draconis is a truly ancient family," said Lucius, "predating the Ministry of Magic, or even Hogwarts itself. I believe a member of House Draconis helped draft the original charter for the Ministry. They have a tendency to stay out of many political debates, and as such have few enemies".

"I see," said Voldemort, "Now then, we have a issue we must discuss: someone has been moving against us. I believe Dumbledore and his group has been destroying artifacts of importance to me. Lucius, we shall need to have a… discussion later about proper handling of items given to you. I believe I left a book of mine in your possession?"

Lucius' face displayed no emotion, but Snape could tell how worried he was.

"Bellatrix," said Voldemort, "is that item I gifted to you secure?"

"Yes my Lord," said Bellatrix, "It is in a place where only fools would attempt to take it. Those stupid beasts will guard it, and none can touch it".

Snape, as mentioned before, was well-versed in picking up on the subtle clues that people gave off… not that Bellatrix knew much about subtlety. From her words, it was easy to work out what she meant: something was hidden in her Gringotts Vault.

"Excellent," said Voldemort, "I have been working on a plan so we may come out of the shadows before much longer. Our target is the Ministry of Magic. If we can take control of it fully, none will be able to stop us".

That was worrying. Snape knew Voldemort was planning an attack against the Ministry, but didn't think it was going to happen until sometime in the middle of next year. If his plan were accelerating… Dumbledore had to know.

"I believe that is all for now," said Voldemort, "Lucius, come speak with me in private later".

Snape stood and began to leave, only for Lucius intercept him in the hall. He then guided him into a sitting room. As the door closed, Snape felt a privacy charm activate.

"Severus," said Lucius, "I know what you're to".

Snape tensed, but waited for Lucius to continue.

"The Dark Lord told me a short time ago that he wants Draco to take the mark," said Lucius, "I… I don't want him to".

"And you want me to protect him," said Snape, he wasn't used to seeing Lucius with his guard down like this.

"I know you can, you and Mr. Draconis," said Lucius, "I know more about his family than I let on. I recognize that his name is the same one exactly as the one on Ministry of Magic Charter. Are you aware that our magic stems at least partially from our connection to magic creatures?"

"I have heard that, yes," said Snape, "Are you saying you're…"

"No, we are not connected in that way, but I know some things about his true nature," said Lucius, "And don't worry, the Dark Lord won't get anything new from me. At worst, he'll see me being somewhat suspicious of you… which means nothing as all of us are suspicious of each other to an extent".

"I must ask, why approach me now?" asked Snape.

"It's the Dark Lord's actions recently," said Lucius, he's been more secretive lately, going off alone or with that serpent of his to who knows were, and comes back in tattered robes, carrying that staff. This last time, it looked like he'd been mauled by something _very_ large".

"I see," said Sanpe.

"There are things in this world better left undisturbed, Severus," said Lucius, "powers that were locked away for a reason. I believe he's falling under the thrall of such a thing. I know better than to try and act against him… but you have a way out. Please, protect my son. I don't want him to be mixed up in this any worse than he already is".

"I… promise," said Snape, "I will do everything in my power to protect Draco. But I'm sure you know that given the chance, he'd do everything in his power to save you".

"I'd expect that to be a possibility. If he does, make sure he's ready to fight, that's all I can ask," said Lucius as he opened the door, cancelling the charm, "Now then, you better get going. That potion you're working on sounds quite interesting. I hope you can tell me more about your results in the future".

Snape made his way outside and apparated back to Hogwarts. He headed straight to Dumbledore's office to report what he'd learned.

"Ah, Severus, back so soon?" said Dumbledore.

"I have important information to report," said Snape, "there's a Horcrux in the Gringotts vault of Bellatrix Lestrange".

"I see," said Dumbledore, "disposing of it may be difficult. The Goblins won't allow us to access someone else's vault, the only legal way we could access it would be to have the Head of House Black to annul Mrs. Lestrange's marriage, causing the vault to default back to the Black family".

"If I may make a suggestion," said Snape, "what if someone with good standing among the Goblins suggested they perform a security audit? After all, the Goblins are allowed access to the vaults within their domain".

"Excellent thinking, Severus!" said Dumbledore, "We shall see if Mr. Draconis would be amenable to aiding us with this. Do you have anything else to report?"

"Voldemort is stepping up his plans. Currently, I believe he plans to assault the Ministry sometime early next year," said Snape.

"He's getting bold, worryingly so," said Dumbledore, "We'll need to be prepared to counter his actions".

Snape considered mentioning what Lucius had asked of him, but decided against it. For Draco's sake, he had to keep this to as few people as possible.

"Thank you for your report," said Dumbledore.

With a silent nod, Snape left Dumbledore's office, considering what would be the best way to uphold his promise.

* * *

 **A/N:** I know many people will dislike this decision, but hear me out: Lucius Malfoy may not be a good person, far from it, in fact. However, one thing that cannot be denied is that he is protective of his son. How many times have we seen Draco shouting 'My father will hear about this!' This indicates that he's used to running to his father whenever something doesn't go his way. I also see Lucius as not being the most loyal of the Death Eaters, as he wasn't willing to go to prison for the crimes he committed in Voldemort's name. Finally as mentioned in this chapter, Lucius has come to realize that Voldemort is playing with forces that he can't fully understand, and doesn't want Draco mixed up in this. This does **_not_** mean that Draco will have sudden personality change. He'll still be the same arrogant daddy's boy that he was before.

Anyway, next time, we'll see effects of what occurred in this chapter. See you then!


	34. Chapter 34: Starting Over

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 34: Starting Over

Draco Malfoy wasn't quite sure what to expect when Professor Snape called him up to his office. He made his way up, knowing that it was likely quite important. When he arrived, he found Professor Snape sitting behind his desk waiting for him.

"Please sit," said Snape.

Draco took a chair, and waited for Snape to continue.

"I have recently returned from speaking with your father," said Snape.

"About what?" asked Draco.

"I believe you already know. It involves your family's houseguest," said Snape, "the Dark Lord plans on giving you the Dark Mark over the holidays. Your father opposes this plan".

"He's going against the Dark Lord's wishes!?" said Draco, "Why?"

"Your father suspects the Dark Lord has been toying with forbidden magic, the kind of thing even the darkest dark lords of history shied away from. He doesn't want you to be forced into the service of such powers," said Snape.

"But… if father does this… the Dark Lord will kill him!" said Draco.

"He was aware of that possibility," said Snape.

"I can't abandon him!" said Draco, "I have to do something!"

Snape smirked, this was exactly what he expected.

"I thought you might say something like that," said Snape, "That is why I already asked Professor Draconis if you could join his study group".

"What did he say?" asked Draco.

"He's willing to allow it, but there is one condition," said Snape, "you'll be training alongside Potter and his friends. You'll need to treat them respectfully".

"Potter and his band?" said Draco, "why?"

"Because their a major part of the study group," said Snape, "more than that Professor Draconis and Mr. Potter are share a connection of ancient magic. They are both bearers of a powerful legacy".

Draco mulled over his choices for a bit, before replying.

"Fine, if it means helping my mother and father, I'll play nice with them," said Draco, "even that mudblood Granger".

Snape flinched as Draco said that, and looked at him firmly.

"Mr. Malfoy, please do not use that word again," said Snape, "we are more civilized than childish name-calling. More than that, that word has a bad history for me".

"What do you mean?" said Draco.

"It cost me my best friend," said Snape, "This next Saturday, I will accompany you to the study group".

The rest of the week passed, and on Saturday Professor Snape guided Draco up to the 7th floor corridor. There they met up with Vaerath and the rest of the study group.

"Ah, Severus! Right on time," said Vaerath, "I see you've brought our newest member".

Draco could see the others looking at him with suspicion. He wanted to sneer at them, but reminded himself: cunning and ambition. What more cunning way was there to help his family was there than side with those aligned against the Dark Lord?

"Potter," said Draco, "I would like to apologize for my rude behavior in the past. I know this does not wipe away my past actions, but I would like to propose a mutually beneficial pact of non-hostility, so that we may work together to improve our respective skills".

Harry stared at him for a moment, before sighing.

"You know, after Hagrid you were the second person in the wizarding world to really speak to me," said Harry, "I don't really count the horde of people in the Leaky Cauldron, as they were looking for the Boy-who-Lived, not a real person. You didn't exactly give the best first impression. You didn't give a particularly good impression the second time, either".

Draco frowned, but kept his thoughts inside.

"However, both of us have matured since that day," said Harry, "If you're willing to get through this lesson without insulting my friends, then I'll fully accept. Ron, this deal goes both ways. I'll ask you to try not to antagonize Draco. What do you say? Shake on it?"

Harry extended his hand. Draco stared for a second before accepting the handshake. The group, now including Snape and Draco entered the Room of Requirement.

"Now then, we'll keep going for where we left off last time," said Vaerath, who then chuckled to himself, "Shall we Harry?"

Vaerath and Harry stepped back from the group, and assumed the draconic forms. Draco's face contorted into a shocked expression.

"You… You're a dragon!?" shouted Draco.

"Yes, it seems I am," said Vaerath, "don't worry, I swore not to eat any of the students. Not that I would have in the first place, humans taste terrible".

Draco looked even more horrified, and Vaerath sighed.

"Sorry, bad joke," said Vaerath, "besides, eating fellow sentient beings is grounds for life sentence where I'm from".

"So this isn't some illusion?" said Draco.

"I'm 99% sure that I'm real," said Vaerath, "now then, down to training. You have received the books for these lessons, correct?"

"I have," said Draco.

"Good," said Vaerath, "I would like everyone to flip to page 8 of the supplementary book, and practice to spell there against those training dummies. Harry, I want you to keep working on your versatility. Remember, you can use virtually any part of your body to cast a spell. Try casting this one through your wings".

Harry looked the spell over and saw that it would allow the caster to summon a small whirlwind, like a dust devil. Harry focused his magic, flying a short distance off the ground to ready himself. He let the magic flow outwards, and with each beat of his wings the spell grew in intensity. Finally, he released it, sending a dust devil flying at the dummy. The winds battered it for a short time before dissipating.

Harry looked around, seeing that the others were having similar success. Even Draco seemed to get this spell without much difficulty.

"Excellent work everyone," said Vaerath, "let's try something a bit harder. Page 58. Try to be creative with this one".

Harry flipped to that page, and noticed it was an illusion spell. He smiled to himself, and knew the perfect thing to create an illusion of. He concentrated for moment, focusing the image in his mind into being. As the spell completed, standing next to Harry was an illusory replica of his draconic self. He mentally directed the illusion to copy his every move, and took a look around the see what the others had thought up.

Ron had created an image of wall, a copy of the walls of the room. Neville had made a replica of the Whomping Willow. Hermione had placed her illusion upon the floor, making appear there was a deep pit. Fred and George had created duplicates of themselves, or possibly each other. Luna had summoned up an image of a strange creature, which featured a single crumpled-looking horn on its head. Draco had created an illusion of a large venomous snake.

"Ah, interesting selections all around," said Vaerath, "Harry, why did you make an image of yourself?"

"If someone doesn't see me casting the spell, they wouldn't be able to tell which one is real without closer inspection," said Harry, "A distraction is never a bad idea".

"Fred, George," said Vaerath, "I assume you had similar reasoning, and weren't simply doing it as a joke?"

"Uh, sure," said Fred, "let's go with that".

"Now then, Ron, Hermione," said Vaerath, "You've both chosen environmental elements. What was your reasoning?"

"Well, for mine you could use it to cover up a door," said Ron, "That way, you couldn't be found".

"I chose mine because someone who sees it would be hesitant to check whether it is really an illusion," said Hermione.

"As for Neville and Draco," said Vaerath, "I see you both chose to image of something dangerous".

"I thought that image of something hazardous to approach would good idea," said Draco.

"I thought the same thing," said Neville.

"And of course Luna… well, I have no idea what that is," said Vaerath.

"Why it's a Crumple-Horned Snorcack, Professor," said Luna, "their normally quite shy".

"I've not seen something like that outside of," said Vaerath, cutting himself off in thought, "Well, I think you all came up with your own sensible uses for this illusion spell. I believe that's enough for today. Next time, we can work on further enhancing your skills".

Harry canceled the illusion and walked over to Draco.

"Not bad Malfoy," said Harry.

"You didn't do bad yourself, Potter," said Draco.

"Look, I doubt we'll ever truly be friends," said Harry, "but we can still be the fairly closely related cousins we are".

"I think I can live with that," said Draco.

"Then allow me to reintroduce myself Harry Potter, Heir to House Potter, and the 22nd Purple Dragon," said Harry.

Harry raised one scaly forepaw, and presented it to Draco. Draco looked into his familiar green eyes surrounded by violet scales, and then smiled. After a moment's hesitation, Draco accepted, and they shook hands again.

"Draco Malfoy, Heir to House Malfoy," said Draco, "So if you're the 22nd, does that make our Professor…"

"The 21st?" answered Harry, "that it does".

"Potter… thank you," said Draco, "I know you probably hate me..."

"I don't," said Harry, "I got worse treatment from my cousin Dudley, and I know his actions were largely trained into him by my uncle".

The group left the Room of Requirement, Harry and Vaerath returning to human form as they did, and the group went their separate ways for now.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Next time, its time to pay a visit to the bank... a certain artifact must be dealt with. See you then!


	35. Chapter 35: The Goblet

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 35: The Goblet

The winter break had come to Hogwarts, and a number of students had headed home for the holidays. Harry and Vaerath had also left the school, with one particular destination in mind. They took the floo to Diagon Alley, and headed to Gringotts. Once inside, they approached the teller.

"Key?" asked the goblin.

"Here you are," said Vaerath handing over the key, "we have a situation 12".

The goblin paused, and looked them over before nodding.

"Follow me," said the goblin.

The goblin led them deeper into the bank, to an area Harry had never seen before. The eventually arrived at a door labeled 'Director Ragnok'. The goblin led them inside, where another goblin sat behind a desk. He spoke to the Director briefly, who soon turned to address Harry and Vaerath.

"Gentlemen," said Ragnok, "I hear you have important information for me?"

"Indeed," said Vaerath, "We strongly suspect that a horcrux has been stored within your people's domain".

"What evidence do you have of this?" asked Ragnok, "You have a good record with my people, but on this I cannot accept your word alone".

"I present to you the written testimony and memory of one Severus Tobias Snape, Hogwarts potion master," said Vaerath,

Ragnok examined the documents Vaerath had handed him, and looked it over, frowning.

"This presents a problem for us," said Ragnok, "as this artifact is within the vault of Bellatrix Lestrange, I cannot allow you to access it. the only one who could authorize this would be Mrs. Lestrange, her husband, or her head of house".

Harry remember what he'd learned of the familial lines of the British Wizarding World, and had an idea.

"My apologies if this seems rude," said Harry, "but you're saying the head of House Black could authorize access to the vault?"

"That is correct," said Ragnok.

"Would it be alright if a called a house elf here?" asked Harry.

Ragnok gave a toothy grin.

"That would be allowable," said Ragnok, "within the halls and tunnels of Gringotts, the ministry has no reach".

"Dobby!" called Harry.

The house elf in question appeared with a *POP*, and looked at him.

"The great Harry Potter calls Dobby?" said Dobby.

"Could you bring Sirius here?" asked Harry.

"Dobby with get good dogfather!" said Dobby.

Dobby popped away, and a short time later reappeared with Sirius.

"Hey Harry, not that I didn't want to see you," said Sirius, "but what's with grabbing me all of a sudden?"

"Allow me to answer that, Mr. Black," said Ragnok, "with the death of your grandfather, Lord Arcturus Black, the headship of House Black defaults to you. You will need to speak with your account manager later to finalize everything, but for now I will summarize: it is suspected that a powerful dark artifact has been stored within the vault of your cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. Your permission is required to authorize a search of her vault to remove the artifact… as well as a fine for the act of storing such an item within our domain".

"Oh, that's all?" said Sirius, "of course, where do I sign?"

Ragnok searched through his desk, and pulled out a stack of parchment. Sirius picked up the offered quill, and signed the legal document. Once done, Ragnok took the document back, and checked it over.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Lord Black," said Ragnok, "and for your warning, Lord Draconis, Heir Potter".

Ragnok led Vaerath, Harry, and Sirius from his down to an observation room. A short while later, a goblin carrying an iron box entered the other section of the room which they could see through a window. The goblin set the box down, put on thick gloves, and opened the box. It pulled out a beautiful golden goblet, as well as a vial of dark colored fluid. It poured the fluid over the goblet, and it swiftly started melting, a dark specter flying out. It soon dissipated into nothingness, and the goblin gave them a thumbs-up.

"Thank you again," said Ragnok, "You have done us a great service today".

Sirius was taken back to Grimmald Place by Dobby, while Vaerath and Harry returned to Hogwarts. Harry went off to spend the day with his friends, while Vaerath reported their progress to Dumbledore.

"So, how did it go?" asked Dumbledore.

"The goblin nation was glad to aid us in destroying the horcux once we brought Mr. Black for authorization". said Vaerath, "If your theory is correct, there should only be three left.

"Yes, the locket, which we already have in our possession," said Dumbledore, "Nagini, Voldemort's familiar… then there's the last one. I don't think you're going to be happy the hear this".

Vaerath saw Dumbledore's grim expression. No, he couldn't mean…

"Are you implying," said Vaerath, "you can't be serious".

"Unfortunately I am," said Dumbledore, "I've eliminated all other possibilities".

"Ancestors… what to do," said Vaerath, "what should we tell Harry?"

Dumbledore looked down at his desk, not sure what to say.

"We tell him the truth," said Dumbledore, "there has to be some way we can get it out of him".

Vaerath scratched his chin, and then thought of something.

"I have an idea," said Vaerath, "It's potentially risky, but it might just work".

"What are you thinking?" asked Dumbledore.

"Tell me, how much do you know of the history of the Dragon Realms?" asked Vaerath.

"I know some things, but my knowledge is spotty at best," said Dumbledore.

"During the time of Elnos, the 10th Purple Dragon, the Realms were divided by the talents different clans of dragons possessed. One of these clans was the Dream Weavers. Their specialty was the realm of dreams and mind magic, they worked to shield the young of the realms from nightmares that could leave them traumatized".

"Intriguing, but there's more, isn't there?" said Dumbledore.

"From my understanding, a Horcrux imbedded within a living entity would exist somewhere in that being's soul-space," said Vaerath, "What if Harry destroyed the Horcrux from within his own mind?"

"That… could work," said Dumbledore, "How soon can you do this?"

"Give me a day or two," said Vaerath, "I haven't used this particular talent for a while, and need to refresh my knowledge. If I need anything in particular, I'll let you know".

Vaerath left Dumbledore's office to ready himself for this task. As he went, he thought of how often throughout history something like this had happened. It seemed like every Purple Dragon had a brush with being possessed by darkness. Even himself, when he defeated Xyndriem and the Dark Master tried to come after him. He still recalled what it took to drive it back. He couldn't let that happen to Harry. He wouldn't let that happen.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! A plan has been formed to remove that hitchhiking soul shard from Harry's scar. Next time, it's time to put this plan into action. See you then.


	36. Chapter 36: Dreaming Deep

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Time to get that horcrux out of Harry's head.

 **D** **isclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 36: Dreaming Deep

Harry had received a note instructing him go the Room of Requirement. Upon arrival he found Dumbledore, Snape, and Vaerath waiting for him.

"Harry, let's head inside," said Vaerath, "we have something serious to speak about".

Harry head the level of worry in his voice, and followed the professors. Inside the room of requirement, he discovered that it was currently a potions lab.

"So, what's going on?" asked Harry.

"Harry, there's no good way to say this, so I'll be blunt," said Vaerath, "there's a fragment of Voldemort's soul lodged in your scar".

"How long," asked Harry, "how long has it been in there?"

"Most likely ever since first attacked you," said Dumbledore, "it was concealed remnant energies of Voldemort's magic when you were checked over after the initial attack. And every time it was checked after that, you'd just had another encounter with dark magic".

"Then how do we get rid of it?" asked Harry.

"There are several methods what could work," said Dumbledore, "most of which we've discarded since they would be directly harmful to you. However, Professor Draconis has an idea".

"Harry," said Vaerath, "you've read about the Dream Weavers, correct?"

"Of course," said Harry, "but how does that help?"

"Well, they were experts in protecting the minds of others," said Vaerath, "still are, if you know where to find them. The thing is, this soul fragment exists somewhere within your soul-space. If you could find it within yourself, you could destroy the horcrux from the inside!"

"What do we need to do?" asked Harry.

"Well, that's what we've been working in here," said Vaerath, "Severus and I have put together a potion that will send you into a lucid dream state. However, there are risks".

"What kind of risks?" asked Harry.

"Well, to start, everyone has parts of themselves they'd rather not encounter: bad memories, anxieties, self-doubts," said Vaerath, "you'll have to deal with these, and the fact that the soul fragment has had fourteen years to fester. Even worse would be the possibility that the soul fragment might use these negative parts of your mind against you. As well, we won't be able to assist you once you enter the dream-state. You'll have to fight it on your own".

"There's more, isn't there?" asked Harry.

"It is possible when you confront the soul fragment," said Vaerath, "If you were to lose to it, you might never wake up… or you body might, with the soul fragment in control. If it comes to a point where all seems lost, remember: this is your mind, your domain. It is where you are at your strongest".

That made Harry pause. It was a huge risk, but what other choice did he have? He had to do this, he had to confront and destroy the fragment of Voldemort that was inside him.

"Alright," said Harry, "Let's do this".

"Are you sure Potter?" said Snape.

"Of course, Professor Snape," said Harry, "I have to get this thing out of me".

"Well then, drink this then," said Vaerath.

Vaerath brought over a potion bottle. The contents were oddly pearlescent. Harry took a deep breath and drank it down. It tasted odd, a mix of lavender and mint. He lay down on a bed that had been prepared, and swiftly fell asleep.

* * *

 _In the Dream_

Falling… He was falling. All around was dark and silent. Something approached: the ground below. He landed hard, falling to his knees. As Harry recovered, he examined his surroundings. It was a grassy field, stretching as far as the eye could see in one direction, while a familiar mountain sat on the other side.

 _'_ _Now, where would a horcrux hide?'_

The mountains where he shielded his memories loomed in the distance. It was as good a place to start as any. He took on his dragon form, and flew towards the cave within the mountains, landing safely inside. However, something felt off. He wasn't alone here. He let this feeling guide him, and noticed the caverns getting darker and darker. At the end of the path, he found another him. This dragon-harry was a few shades darker in color, its eyes poison green. The entire chamber made Harry uneasy, with the tendrils of crawling shadow writhing along the walls.

"So, you're here," said dark Harry, "why?"

"To rid myself on the horcrux that's been lodged in our head," said Harry.

"You think you can do that?" said dark Harry, "I'm not sure you have the strength".

"So what, you're my self-doubt?" said Harry.

"That and everything else you dislike about yourself," said dark Harry, "I'm where you stick all your negativity. Do you really intend to continue onwards?"

"Of course!" said Harry, "why wouldn't I?"

"Simple, because you're scared," said dark Harry, "you put up a brave front, but you still have fear of your aunt and uncle. You still have resentment at how they mistreated you, how the school so easily turned against you simply because it was convenient. You doubt you are truly worthy of all the good things that have happened to you, like having friends, or even the power to defend yourself".

Harry knew what this aspect of him was saying was true. But he knew something else.

"All of that is true," said Harry, "but I also know that things could have been so much worse. Vernon and Petunia, as cruel as the might have been at least allowed us a roof over our heads. They could have tossed us away to an orphanage, or even out onto the streets. The actions of the students of Hogwarts is a case of mob mentality… as for Ron's actions, well he seems to have inherited his mother's fiery temper. While I can wish some of these things hadn't happened, I know that I wouldn't be who I am without them".

Dark Harry smirked, and looked at him straight on.

"Right answer," said dark Harry, "didn't want to waste energy fighting myself anyway. Now, about that fragment of Voldemort: it has sequestered itself deep down, near the core of your being. You'll know what to look for".

Dark Harry stood, and slammed through the back wall of the cave, revealing a new path. Harry followed, and the passage led him out to a new open space. Ahead lay another mountain, this one standing tall among the others, its snowcapped peak piercing the clouds. Harry tried flying towards the mountain, but strong winds soon forced him to ground. Instead, he ran towards the mountain, and started climbing the slopes. He leapt from ledge to ledge, using his claws to find grip on vertical surfaces.

His trail took him into a distorted replica of Hogwarts castle, which had become splintered across the mountain. He passed through classrooms and hallways, and leapt with all his might to reach the exit of this section, located it the headmaster's office.

Harry emerged back into mountainside, and found a cave entrance leading inside. Harry could almost taste it, an almost physical malevolence dwelling somewhere inside. Harry entered the cave, and after winding his way deep inside. He found what he was looking for. It was a dark, oily mass that looked utterly foreign spreading throughout the cavern. The mass roiled, and a familiar pale faced man emerged.

"Voldemort!" snarled Harry.

"Well, if it isn't Potter?" sneered Voldemort, "so sad, to see one with such potential allowing himself to become a beast".

"Says the mass murderer," replied Harry, "you're going down, Riddle!"

"You… you _dare_ use that name!?" said Voldemort, "well, you have little hope of success. I've been growing strong… of course, you know this, why not ask yourself?"

A second form emerged from the shadows, Harry's own negativity. It looked down at him dispassionately, and glanced at Voldemort.

"Destroy him!" said Voldemort.

Dark Harry winked, and turned and slashed at Voldemort with his claws.

"Really, Tommy?" growled dark Harry, "you seriously thought I would turn against myself? You thought I would actually side with you, then one responsible for my parent's death!?"

Voldemort recovered from this shock at the sudden attack, and blasted dark Harry with a wave of energy transforming him into a small crystal, Voldemort seemed draw power from it, and took flight. Harry knew had had to act, and leapt into the air, slamming into Voldemort. Everything distorted for a moment, and Harry was sent flying backwards. Voldemort fled, and Harry hurried to follow. As he did, the dark tendrils were pushed back, though whether this was because of Voldemort's retreat or his own advancement, Harry didn't know.

In the next chamber, Harry leapt from platform to crumbling platform while dodging energy orbs and laser-like blasts, and slamming into Voldemort again. Voldemort backed up, and the ground and ceiling morphed into deadly looking spikes. Harry slammed into Voldemort again, and everything seemed to distort again. Harry felt good, was he getting stronger every time he struck Voldemort? The battle continued, Harry and Voldemort spiraling deeper and deeper into the depths of his soul space. Eventually, with one particularly solid blow, Harry caused Voldemort to drop the crystal. Harry touched it, and his darker side was released for its cage.

"Well that stunk," said dark Harry, "listen no time to talk: were nearing the core… the center of our very being. If Voldie manages to manipulate it... we need to combine our efforts. Are you with me?"

"Of course I'm with you!" said Harry.

Harry and dark Harry touched paws, and dark Harry seemed to vanish. However, Harry knew he was still there. Harry felt stronger, but stronger, even as old sorrows ran through his head. They still hurt as he recalled for a moment every bad thing that had ever happened to him, but he could take it. Harry spread his wings, and flew down the next tunnel. It led him down into darkness, seemingly forever, but then he saw it. It was the same crystal he'd seen in his mind's eye before. Hovering before it was Voldemort, preparing something unpleasant looking. Harry dived, and flamed Voldemort. The soul fragment slid back, and started firing spells. Harry dodged, and launched barrages of each of his elements at Voldemort, the crystal flaring with energy each time he did.

Voldemort smirked, and fired another spell.

" _Bombarda!_ " shouted Voldemort.

The spell wasn't aimed at Harry. Instead the target was the crystal. The spell struck true, and cracks began to spread through the crystal, before it completely shattered. As it did, darkness began to close in around Harry. Was this it? Was this the end?

 _'_ _NO!'_ thought Harry, ' _this is my place, I'm strongest here! This is my domain, no one can take it from me!'_

The darkness retreated, and the shattered fragments pulled back together, assembling into a new form. Now, instead of a crystal, it was a star, burning the same violet as his own scales. Harry felt a new wave of energy course through him, nearly overflowing. Voldemort looked on with horror.

"What are you!?" gasped Voldemort.

"I am Harry James Potter," said Harry, "Wizard, student at Hogwarts, and the 22nd to bear the title and burden of the legendary Purple Dragon. And you don't belong here!"

Harry inhaled deeply, before breathing out a beam of violet energy. The beam tore at Voldemort, utterly disintegrating him. The dark, oily mass withered under his power, completely vanishing.

Harry roared in victory, the horcux was gone, and he was free of any influence it could have applied. He flew up out of the cave, flying all the way to the peak of the mountain. As he landed upon the summit and surveyed his domain, the dream faded…

* * *

 _Awake_

Harry opened his eyes, and slowly sat up. The professors hurried over, Snape with a parchment and quill.

"How are you feeling Harry?" asked Vaerath.

"Alright I think," said Harry, "how long have I been out?"

"A few hours," said Vaerath. good news, your scar is already starting to fade".

"Mr. Potter," said Snape, "could you please describe your experience from this potion?"

Harry proceeded to describe what he went through, making sure to leave nothing out. As he did, Snape took notes of his parchment.

"What are you writing?" asked Harry.

"This is a new potion to me," said Snape, "I simply wish to catalogue it for my studies".

"Well, I'm glad to hear your negative side was willing to aid you," said Dumbledore.

"It's not like that part of me is evil," said Harry, "it's an important part of anyone's mind".

"I'm just glad it worked out for the best," said Vaerath, "come on, let's get you down to the Great hall. If we hurry, we'll be in time for dinner".

They left the Room of Requirement, Harry feeling a weight off his shoulders.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Now, only two horcruxes remain. Next time, The Final Artifact. See you then. Also, don't worry about that representation of Harry negativity. It's noting more that an aspect of his personality, given voice by the dream.


	37. Chapter 37: The Final Artifact

**A/N:** Well. it's time for Voldemort to delve into some ancient ruins again. What might he encounter within?

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 37: The Final Artifact

The distinct crack of apparition broke the silence on a small island. Voldemort wasn't sure exactly where on earth this was, only that the Dark Master had pointed him to an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It had taken a bit of effort to weave through the wards on this place, but now he and Nagini were here. They were on the shore, and could see the ruins of a town up ahead, and beyond that the tower that contained what Voldemort was seeking.

The pair made their way through the town. Little was left to tell was each buildings purpose was, only fallen stone. They approached the tower, entering the garden that stood in front of it. As they did, the plants reacted, growing and twining together to form dense hedges. They continued deeper it, coming to a eight way junction with a sundial in the middle. There was no good way to tell where each of the paths lead. Oddly, despite it being morning, the shadow from the sundial's gnomon was pointing straight towards the tower, while Voldemort's shadow was pointing the correct direction.

It seemed almost too obvious: The shadow on the sundial must somehow magically indicate the correct path. Voldemort and Nagini followed the path, and after many twists are turns arrive back at the sundial. Voldemort frowned, but checked the sundial again. This time, there were two shadows, one pointing north towards the tower, the other pointing due east. Voldemort deduced that path must be the one to the northeast. Once more they followed the path through many twists and turns only to arrive… back at the sundial.

" _This is getting annoying,"_ hissed Nagini, " _Are we even making progress?_ "

" _I believe we must be,_ " said Voldemort, " _This is clearly some form of magical defense. We just need to keep going_ ".

Voldemort examined the sundial, and now there were three shadows: one pointing north, one pointing southeast, and one pointing southwest. Voldemort thought about this setup for a moment, and then chose the south path, even though it was the way they'd just come from. Once again, the path twisted and turned, and brought them back to the sundial. This time, there were four shadows, pointing northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast. As Voldemort watched, the four shadows seemed to twist and retreat into the gnomon.

"Nagini, come!" said Voldemort.

His familiar slithered closer and coiled around him. Deciding his hunch was worth a try, Voldemort climbed on top of the sundial. The world suddenly shifted and Voldemort and Nagini fell from the sky, landing next to the sundial again. As Voldemort got back to his feet, he saw that there were now eight shadows on the sundial, one pointing down every available path. Nagini hissed angrily, and slithered right through the corner where two paths met. Suddenly she vanished. In shock and worry, Voldemort dove into the hedge after her… and found himself at the base of the tower, Nagini at his side. As he looked back, there as a straight path, leading past the sundial to the village ruins.

With an annoyed sigh, Voldemort entered to tower, Nagini not far behind. Their journey though the interior began simply enough with a spiral staircase leading them up. Later this was replaced by an earthen ramp and then a ladder. Voldemort soon realized that this path he and Nagini were on had exceeded the physical space of the tower several times over. Eventually, they reached a hatch door that would lead them to the top level. Voldemort pushed it open, and stepped out into… a cavern? Nagini followed, and looked around in confusion.

" _We are deep underground,_ " said Nagini, " _this is not a place we should be_ ".

" _We made it through our last encounter,_ " said Voldemort, " _We can survive this_ ".

They moved deeper into the cavern, following a barely visible path of wear marks on the stone. They entered into a cavern lined with quartz crystals of all colors, heading across a set of bridges strung between some of the larger crystals. The path went even deeper, through oddly circular passages. They didn't appear to be naturally formed, but there didn't seem to be any sign of tools either.

Eventually, path tunnel let them out onto a platform seemingly grown from white stone. Beyond the edge, there was nothing but a starry void. Voldemort, dare a glance back, and saw there were no sign of the caves he and Nagini had traversed, only a doorway formed of the same white rock as the rest of the platform. There was little other ornamentation here, braziers of guttering blue-green flame, and a small dais above which floated a pitch black stone. It bobbed up and down slightly the magic suspending it, waiting for him. Voldemort slowly approached, expecting some sort of trap. It couldn't be this easy. Could it? He slowly reached out and grabbed the crystal. No vision came, nothing seemed to change at all. Voldemort placed the stone into the top of his staff, where it fit stepped back from the dais, and with Nagini at his side they started making their way back.

The path on the way back had changed, and after many twists and turns led them to an empty room. Before they could react, the door slammed shut. There was a brilliant bust of light, and suddenly they were on a grassy field. In the distance, Voldemort could see a figure standing next to a table. As Voldemort got closer, he noticed several things. One, there was a teapot and two cups on the table, two, the figure was rather tall, standing about 6'5", and third, the figure wasn't human. The clawed, scaly hands gave it away. It turned to face him. It was some sort of reptilian humanoid, with matte grey scales and blue eyes as deep as the ocean. It was wearing simple robes over leather armor.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr.," said the creature, "aka Lord Voldemort. So, you have come after all. Ah, I see you brought your familiar with you. You know, phylacteries tend to work better when you're not carrying them with you".

Voldemort pointed his newly completed staff at the creature, but it just chucked, his deep voice filled with mirth.

"Oh, put that thing away," said the creature, "It won't work anyway; you're not properly attuned to that staff yet".

"Who are you!" demanded Voldemort.

"That depends who's asking," said the creature, "but most who I encounter, I am known as Xarxiros. I guess you could say I'm… an outside contractor of sorts. You know why I'm here".

"To kill me?" said Voldemort, "try as you might, I will not fall…"

"…I am eternal!" said Xarxiros, "words repeated by dark lords of many different stripes across the ages, usually just before they were defeated. Your connection to the material plane has become quite tenuous, only two of your phylacteries remain. Nevertheless, I will not kill you. I could, but that is not my place. Besides, Fate and Destiny tend to get annoyed when someone interrupts their carefully laid plans. No, I come to offer you a deal".

"Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it," said Voldemort.

"Ah yes, you've already sold what little remains of your soul to the Dark Master," said Xarxiros with venom, "tell me, why do you seek the destruction of all reality?"

"What makes you think I would desire that!?" said Voldemort.

"Simple, you serve the Dark Master, and that is the Dark Master's end goal," said Xarxiros, "It and I have been in conflict for a very long time, longer than you can imagine, Riddle. It is a force of primal entropy and malice. I desire stability and balance. However, you still have a chance to turn back from this path. Tea?"

"No," said Voldemort, "You're lying! The Dark Master was there for me I was at my lowest, it reminded me of how it watched over me!

"Suit yourself," said Xarxiros, pouring himself a cup and taking a sip, "but really, you believed it? You bought into its lies? Search you own memories, Riddle: tell me what they tell you. After all, since when have you been one to bend your knee to another?"

Voldemort frowned, but did it anyway. The memories in question were there, but with a oddly blurred edge. Not from being forgotten… not this was a sign of tampering!

"It… what did you do!?" demanded Voldemort.

"Well, so far I've talked to you and poured a cup of tea," said Xarxiros, "I've done nothing to you".

"I don't believe you," said Voldemort, "So, these creature I battled at the other temples, they were under your sway?"

"Nope," said Xarxiros, "They were their own beings, not mine. Though, I must thank you not for slaying the one you met in the deep jungle. He is a member of an endangered species, after all".

"I couldn't have killed it," replied Voldemort, "it just kept coming back!"

"Oh, you could have killed him," said Xarxiros, "it was a rather resilient sort, but to use its self healing ability you witnessed, it has to expend some level of magic. When it counteracted your Killing Curse, it burned through effectively every bit it had left. If you had attacked again, it would have fallen".

"Enough of this!" said Voldemort, "you've delayed me long enough with your nonsense! Get out of my way, or I will kill you!"

"Very well, if you insist on violence," said Xarxiros with a sigh, "The hard way it is… 10 percent should do".

"10 percent of what?" asked Voldemort.

"Well, you see I can only express so much of my total power in this place-time," said Xarxiros, "however, I'll only need 10 percent of what I can safely do in this plane to defeat you. Anyway, let's begin".

Xarxiros snapped his fingers, and the table and everything on it vanished. He took a deep breath, and called eldritch energies to his hands as the world seemed to shudder at his raw power. An orb of dark energy flew towards Voldemort, but seemed to do little else. He raised his other hand, and four beams of crackling energy shot forth, three striking Voldemort and one hitting Nagini. As each beam struck him, it hit with significant force, followed by a strange chill. Nagini slithered forwards and attempted to bite Xarxiros, he deftly dodged the attack. Voldemort took aim with his wand, and launched his spell.

" _Avada Kedarva_!" shouted Voldemort.

Xarxiros smirked and didn't even bother dodging, but instead simply flicked the killing curse aside like a bothersome fly. Xarxiros cast another spell, this one striking Nagini. At first nothing seemed to happen, but then she began shrinking, soon becoming the size of a rattlesnake. She struck at him again, but the sudden change in stature threw her off. Voldemort tried another spell.

"How dare you?" shouted Voldemort, " _CRUICIO!_ "

Xarxiros evaded the spell again with seemingly no effort. Seven orbs of light like miniature stars began orbiting Xarxiros' head. Suddenly one of them broke off towards Voldemort. It flew unerringly, and struck with searing radiance, yet that strange chill still followed. Nagini continued to get smaller, and was now the size of a common garden snake. She continued at attempt to strike Xarxiros, but the magic affecting her had weakened her to the point that her fangs couldn't pierce his armor. Voledmort fired off another spell.

 _"_ _FIENDFYRE!"_ shouted Voldemort.

Xarxiros raised one scaly brow, and the flames swiftly dissipated. He then snapped his fingers, and a pall of darkness surrounded Voldemort, preventing him from seeing. Out if the darkness, a point of light shot towards Voldemort, searing him again followed by that chill He was feeling like he was in bad shape… too many more hit like that, and he'd be without a body again.

Voldemort couldn't see what was going on, but suddenly the darkness closed in around him, binding him in place. The darkness continued to swirl, and a figure stepped forwards. Xarxiros approached him, the crown of stars still orbiting his head and pushing back the darkness. In one hand, Xarxiros held a scimitar formed of concentrated shadows, in the other, clutched between two fingers was Nagini. She was the size of a worm now, and struggling to get free.

"Do you see now, Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr., how outmatched you are? You're way out of your league, and are dealing with things you have no hope of even beginning to comprehend," said Xarxiros, "I overestimated how much power I would need to apply; that wasn't even 5% of my local influence".

" _Master!"_ hissed Nagini, her voice barely audible in both volume and pitch, " _Help me!_ "

Voldemort could do nothing but watch Nagini struggle fruitlessly against her captor's grasp.

"As I said before, I am not going to kill you, Riddle," said Xarxiros, "that is not my task in the grand scheme of things… no, that is the role of another. Know that by following the path you have chosen, you have consigned you soul to total oblivion. If you had been willing to listen, and taken up my offer, you could have turned back from this path… but I cannot help those who do not wish to be saved. As for your pet… well this is why you shouldn't make a living thing into a phylactery. Fear not serpent, for as much as you may think me such for what I have done to you and your master, I am not a cruel being, and shall endeavor to make this quick".

Xarxiros tossed Nagini into the air, lifted his shadow blade and slashed it through Nagini just behind the head, slaying her with a single blow. A specter rose from Nagini's remains, and Voldemort realize it was a fragment of his own soul. It collided with one of the mote of light in Xarxiros' crown of stars, and dissolved away. Voldemort seethed in rage and struggled to break free, but the magic binding him was too strong.

"Now that I have your attention, you have seen visions of some of those the Dark Master has used in the past. Allow me to show you what happened to them".

His eyes flared with power, and images appeared within Volemort's mind.

 _The ape creature, Gaul, was now in a deep pit. The same purple dragon he'd been fighting earlier stood before him, before a beam of energy struck it from above. When the dragon emerged, its scales had been stained pitch black, and its eyes were white. It spat forth a lance of dark purple energy, tearing Gaul apart piece by piece._

 _The large green skinned creature known as Gnasty Gnorc was being pursued by a small purple dragon, causing him to drop his warhammer into the lava below._

 _The short, reptilian creature was riding on a mechanical beast, while the purple dragon chased it, spitting fireballs and sending him into the lava below._

 _The blue scaled crocodilian creature was knocked form some sort of flying machine, and also met her apparent demise in a pool of lava._

 _More images presented themselves, images for creatures both familiar and of them meeting their end at the claws and elemental power of a purple dragon, or sometimes humans as well. He was sure he spotted someone who vaguely resembled Dumbledore among those fighting the Dark Master's servants._

The assault of images came to an end, and Voldemort stared at Xarxiros.

"Who… what are you?" said Voldemort.

"That is the question isn't it? I'm not sure what I exactly classify as nowadays. Oh, and keep the staff, you worked hard for it, after all… even though it won't help you in the end. Now then, it's time for you to leave this place," said Xarxiros, "your fate is now sealed. You have chosen your death and total oblivion over the chance to heal your soul and past. Well, I must be off, things to do, beings to help. Goodbye Tom, once and forever".

Xarxiros stepped back, transforming into a massive grey scaled dragon. The aura of power around him swirled with motes of light and shadow, dancing about in perfect balance. Voldemort knew that this was the most powerful being he'd even encountered. Xarxiros gazed at him, those same blue eyes boring deep into his soul, and spoke again.

"Know that you never stood a chance against me, _mortal_ ," said Xarxiros, "When you leave this place, you will not tell the Dark Master who you met here. You should make the best of what little time you have left, for your hourglass runs low. Ah, one last thing: don't bother trying to make any more phylacteries; the remaining part of your soul would irreversibly shatter if you tried".

Xarxiros began vanishing, his form dissolving into ribbons of multicolored light. A moment later, everything went black…

Voldemort woke with a start. He was lying on the beach, on the shore of a familiar island. Had all that been a dream? As he began the sit up, the spike of pain told him he hadn't just dreamt that battle, as did the damage to his robes. But that meant…

"NAGINI!" shouted Voldemort, looking around frantically.

Then he spotted her: lying on the sand, having been cleanly sliced in two was the remains of a very small snake. Voldemort clenched his fists tightly, and screamed to the empty air; he'd lost the only one in the world who truly understood him. He had to speak to the Dark Master, and he needed answers _now_. He apparated away, leaving the island behind.

Back at Malfoy Manor he headed to the private quarters that he'd been using. The shadows shifted, and he knew the Dark Master was present.

" _Ah, so you have returned, Tom,"_ said the Dark Master, " _I see you are travelling lighter. Where is that serpent of yours?_ "

"Dead… she's dead," said Voldemort.

" _Ah, it's for the best, Tom,_ " said the Dark Master, " _that serpent only served to hold you back, I sense a strange presence on you, Tom, one that seems… familiar. What did you encounter in that place?_ "

Voldemort tried to speak about Xarxiros, but it seemed like he couldn't find the words. He tried again, but still the words would come.

" _I see, you have been placed under taboo, annoying things,"_ said the Dark Master, " _You must have encountered one of those who do not wish to see the true glory of my power to be unleashed. Fear not, as long as you have my guidance, none can destroy you"._

"Why are the protectors of these places attackimg me?" asked Voldemort, "I thought these were your shines".

" _No, they are places that artifact of mine were sealed away, guarded by powerful creatures who opposed my might,_ " said the Dark Master, " _You must prepare yourself, attune your magic to that of the staff so that you may wield its power"._

The Dark Master slid away, leaving the room silent. Was Xarxiros right? Was he just another pawn in a cosmic chess game? No, it couldn't be true! He was the one in control, not some dark spirit, not fate or destiny. He was Lord Voldemort, the most powerful wizard alive today! He'd show them, he'd finish off Potter, and then the world would be his!

* * *

 **A/N:** Yeah, let me say this again: Voldemort had absolutely no chance of winning that fight. Xarxiros is simply too far up in terms of power for Voldemort to deal with. Harry, and Vaerath on the other hand are not as powerful as Xarxiros. To put is simply, Xarxiros might as well be deity tier in terms of power. The Purple Dragon, for all its might, is still a mortal being. Voldemort, with the Dark Master using him as it has been, stands a decent chance of being able to fight Harry without getting completely curb-stomped. Also seeing as people seemed unhappy that I didn't have Nagini die in a previous chapter, well there you go. Only one Horcrux remains, and it can be easily dealt with.

Next time, the adventure continues. See you then!


	38. Chapter 38: Aether

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter! Time for Harry to get a bit of practice directing the power of Aether.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 38: Aether

Harry wasn't surprised when Vaerath pulled him aside during the next training session. Ever since he'd destroyed the horcrux inside his scar, He'd felt like some barrier within himself had been removed. He'd felt this power before in small amounts: when he battled Voldemort in the cemetery, as well as when those dementors came after him and Luna. Now, though, it filled him, ready to be released at a moment's notice. They'd already practiced their spells for the day, but this was something extra

"Harry, from what you described within your dreamstate, you have unlocked the power of Aether within yourself. It is a power known for its ability to do the seemingly impossible," said Vaerath, "some have described it as magic in its purest form. It has the capacity to do great and terrible things. It has been used to tear worlds asunder as well and put it back together. To wield it properly, you must learn to direct this power, without letting it control you. In combat, it will behave similarly to other elements you've learned, but will be more draining. While useful, the power of Aether is not the best choice for every situation, due to it have the having the habit of tearing things apart at the atomic level. Let's begin. Don't worry, I'll help you if your control slips".

The rest of the group stood back as Harry and Vaerath assumed dragon form. The power of Aether still roiled within Harry's core, but felt slightly more manageable now. Vaerath gestured, and a large number of training dummies appeared. He inhaled deeply, and spat forth a beam of violet energy, slicing through the air towards his target. The dummies never stood a chance. When the dust settled, there were no dummies left. Vaerath summoned more dummies, and Harry focused on channeling his power.

He inhaled, and directed the energy forwards. It began to flow, the sheer force almost pushing him back. The beam of violet energy lanced towards dummies, swiftly tearing through them. He felt the flow becoming unsteady, the beam wavering as he fought for control of it, and swiftly halted the flow. As he did, he noticed it had left him feeling a bit winded. Vaerath looked over what he'd done, and nodded.

"A good first try," said Vaerath, "and good job keeping it under control".

"I… I felt like it was going to go out of control," said Harry, "so I stopped it".

"I guess that would be your training as a wizard coming into use," said Vaerath, "you already have practice keeping you magic under control, so it stands to reason that you'd have an advantage at keeping Aether under control. Here use this".

Vaerath handed him a chunk of bright green crystal. It felt warm in his claws, and was emitting a comforting glow. As he examined it, it suddenly crumbled to dust! At the same time, he felt energized.

"Don't worry, that's normal," said Vaerath, "those crystals are a rare thing, and as such can only be used sparingly. Now then, we have some extra time. I don't want you try to use Aether again for now, due to the inherent risks that might come from pushing yourself too hard. Is there anything you wish to ask me?"

"Can you tell about some of the other worlds you've visited?" asked Harry.

"Well, they're quite a varied lot, given the infinity that is the multiverse," said Vaerath, "Mundus was a pleasant enough realm, met a wise old dragon acting as the grandmaster of an order of monks. Pleasant fellow, always up for a friendly debate about various topics. Toril was similar, though there was the issue of the dragons of that realm being in an ongoing cosmic-scale sibling rivalry. For various reasons, I kept my true self concealed when I could while in that world. In all honesty, this isn't my first time in your world, Harry".

"It isn't?" said Harry.

"Nope," said Vaerath with a smirk, "how do you think Hogwarts got its motto?"

"Wait, you knew the founders!?" said Hermione, "You have to tell us about them!"

"Well, I met them while resting in a cave not far from where Hogwarts now stands," said Vaerath, "long story short, Salazar dared Godric to wake me up. Godric, being brave, albeit somewhat overly so, took the dare. After a bit of arguing, we got to speaking more civilly, and became friends. It's sad to see much of the information about them has been twisted by the lens of history".

"Such as?" asked Draco.

"Well, for instance, Salazar and Godric weren't enemies," said Vaerath, "in fact they were friendly rivals at worst. Sure, they argued at times, but it wasn't more than that. Yes, they did have a fight before Salazar left, but this was a regular occurrence as the two were dueling partners, and regularly tested their mettle against each other. You must remember this was a different time: skill with the arcane and skill with a blade were of equal importance. It was not on any sour terms that Salazar left, but wherever he went, he never made it back".

"How did the story get so distorted?" asked Harry.

"All it takes is one person to start a rumor for it to spread like wildfire," said Vaerath, "and while I wasn't here to see it, I can only suspect someone started a negative rumor about Salazar".

Before anyone else could ask a question, there was a flash of light and a slivery form glided down. From the feelings of positive emotions drifting off of it, it was easy to recognize as a patronus. This one resembled a miniature dragon, and flew down right in front of Vaerath.

"The serpent has been destroyed," said the patronus in a voice Harry didn't recognize, "only one phylactery remains. Riddle will not risk the creation of another".

With its message delivered, the patronus vanished, leaving them to think about its brief message.

"Well, that's one less thing to worry about," said Vaerath, "That puts Riddle in a very fragile position".

"Who in Merlin's name is Riddle?" asked Draco.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr.," said Vaerath, "you might know him as Voldemort. Half-blood wizard and the Dark Lord currently troubling this world".

Draco paled at these words.

"Wait, the Dark Lord is a half-blood?" said Draco, "why would he…"

"Does it matter?" asked Vaerath, "now, I must inform Albus of this development. Each of you did well today. You are dismissed".

Vaerath left the Room of Requirement, and the various students filtered out soon afterwards. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew that it wouldn't be long now… He and Voldemort would clash for the final time, and the victor would decide the world's fate.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Not many chapters left now. This particular story is swiftly coming to an end. See you next time!


	39. Chapter 39: Confrontation

**A/N:** Alright, this is it. No more delaying, no more stalling. It's time to take down Voldemort, once and for all.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 39: Confrontation

Voldemort stepped up to address his followers, each of them ready and willing to fight for his cause. He clutched his new staff close.

"The time is now," said Voldemort, "we have skulked in the shadows long enough, it is time to show the world our true strength!"

There was a barrage of cheers from his more fervent followers.

"Our priorities have changed," said Voldemort, "before we can take the Ministry, we must take down an even greater threat to our cause: Albus Dumbledore! We assault Hogwarts immediately!"

Lucius Malfoy looked at this wife and frowned. This wasn't supposed to happen. As soon as the meeting broke up to allow the Death Eaters to prepare, Lucius sent Narcissa off through the Floo. She arrived at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, and looked to Rosmerta.

"Narcissa?" said Rosemerta, "What's wrong?"

"Call Dumbledore," said Narcissa, "Hogwarts is about to come under attack!"

The message was soon sent, and Narcissa was brought to the Headmaster's office. All four heads of house as well as Vaerath were present, and considered her message.

"We'll need to prepare immediately," said Dumbledore, "I'll call the Aurors and the Order. We'll need all the help we can get. Vaerath, I think it's time to put those skills of yours to use".

Vaerath hurried off to prepare what he could. He found Harry in the Great Hall.

"Harry," said Vaerath, "we need to get ready".

"Why? What's going on?" asked Harry.

"Voldemort's coming here," said Vaerath, "Time for us to do our part".

Dumbledore soon arrived with the other professors and addressed the hall.

"We have received a dire warning," said Dumbledore, "Hogwarts is soon to be assaulted by dark wizards. Students, please follow your Head of House to your dormitories immediately".

There were shrieks of panic from some of the younger students, but they were quickly reigned in. The majority of the student body was swiftly hurried away, leaving only Harry and the rest of the study group.

"I wish it hadn't come to this, but it seems the time has come for you to use what I've been teaching," said Vaerath, "remember, this is not training setting anymore. Your opponents will give no quarter".

Suddenly, the doors of the great hall burst open, admitting Cornelius Fudge, Delores Umbrage, and his personal guard.

"What is the meaning of this!?" shouted Fudge, "I saw what you sent! Is the beginning of the coup you've been planning Dumbledore?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about Cornelius," said Dumbledore, "I called in a request for the Aurors to assist in defending Hogwarts against an impending attack".

"There is no threat, nothing threatening our world except you," said Cornelius, "I will see you get the Veil for this!"

Dumbledore looked skywards, and frowned.

"Cornelius, I don't have time to deal with this nonsense right now," said Dumbledore, "someone with hostile intent has just crossed the wards".

"Your lies will not save you!" said Umbrage.

She fired a spell resembling tendrils of darkness his way, which he blocked with a wall of stone, before summoning ropes to bind her.

"Delores, casting spells that fall just below the tier of the Unforgivables?" said Dumbledore, "what if you had hit a student?"

"Who care about those little brats!" said Umbrage, "If I had my way, they'd _all_ get the discipline they deserve".

Dumbledore walked past her as she continued to spew hateful rhetoric that would make even the cruelest Death Eater shy away. The rest of their group soon followed, and they saw what was arrayed against them: Death Eater with Voldemort at the helm, a pack of werewolves led by Fenrir Greyback, Dementors. Luckily, their backup was ready as well: The Order of the Phoenix and Aurors were present.

"Ah, hello Tom, to what do I owe your visit today?" asked Dumbledore.

Voldemort raised his staff, pointing it towards Dumbledore. Albus could see that there was little in the way of sense left behind Voldemort's eyes. He was on the brink of absolute madness.

"You are in my way," said Voldemort, "You die today".

"Now, now… not need to be rude," said Vaerath, "by the way, I believe this is yours?"

Vaerath tossed a lump of melted metal at Voldemort's feet. He glanced at it briefly, recognizing it to have once been Slytherin's Locket.

"Destroy them all!" shouted Voldemort.

Thus, the battle began. Around them, their respective armies clashed, in the largest wizarding battle in many years. Voldemort started by firing blasts of black energy from his staff, which Dumbledore deflected with shield spells. Dumbledore fired back, but Voldemort dodged his spells. Vaerath pointed at Voldemort, firing darts of energy which flew unerringly as the slammed into him. Harry summoned vines to attempt to bind Voldemort, but he evaded.

"I know what you truly are, you and Potter!" said Voldemort, "With this, you have no chance against me!"

He fired again, a roiling mass of fell magic coursing straight towards Harry. Vaerath quickly leapt into the spells path, taking it instead. He snarled as the attack struck, and something seemed to fly out of him into the staff. He breathed hard as he recovered from this blast, but he was still alive.

"I see," said Vaerath, "trying to cut us off from our power? Well, I'll admit it worked partially… but I'm stronger than that!"

His hands lit up with arcane energies, and he fired back with a blast of energy. Voldemort dodged, and raised his staff again, seeing Vaerath still looked a bit winded from being struck earlier. Harry rushed forwards intent on shielding Vaerath, but nothing fired from the staff. Instead, it started pulsing ominously.

"What is this?" said Voldemort.

"You managed to siphon a good bit of power from me, as is that staff intention," said Vaerath, "however that artifact can only absorb so much before it's overloaded… and that's a point it's well past".

The crystal flared brighter, and then exploded, unleashing a sphere of blackness which quickly engulfed both Voldemort and Harry. The sphere soon stabilized, hovering in midair.

Fudge and his guard came running out of Hogwarts, and he gaped at the scene before him.

"D-death Eaters!?" said Fudge, "Then where's Voldemort?"

"In there," said Vaerath, pointing to the sphere, "Harry's in there too".

"That is that?" said one of Fudge's guard.

"Voldemort was using a staff of ancient and terrible power," said Vaerath, "It seems to have backfired, and created a demiplanar pocket. I expect that only one, be it Voldemort or Mr. Potter, will emerge from that place intact".

"What can we do?" asked Dumbledore, "There must be some way we can help Harry".

"Unfortunately there's no way to pierce the barrier," said Vaerath, "We must trust in the Ancestors to protect him".

* * *

Within the Sphere

Harry landed hard against a stone floor. He quickly took stock of his surroundings: he was on a circular platform floating amidst a starry void. Across from him was Voldemort, clutching his damaged staff. The crystal had shattered apart, and now orbited the end of the staff like a solar system.

"What did you do?" shouted Voldemort.

"I did nothing, Tom," said Harry, "Vaerath told you you'd overloaded that staff. Now, we're stuck here, thanks to you".

"I'll destroy you Potter," said Voldemort, "just like I did so many others".

"Well, I wouldn't expect anything different," said Harry, "let's get to it".

Harry changed to dragon form, and smirked at Voldemort. Voldemort just laughed.

"Look at you little better than a beast!" said Voldemort.

"Apparently, the Dark Master hasn't been telling you everything, Tom," Said Harry.

Voldemort fired a crimson blast from his staff, which Harry rolled out of the way of. He charged forwards, unleashing his flames upon Voldemort. The Dark Lord stepped back, and fired a blue beam from his staff. It struck Harry, and ice started building up on his feet. Harry channeled his power towards his feet, swiftly melting the ice. Harry struck back with a blast of lightning, which Voldemort deflected only to get caught by stones glowing with green energy struck him from the side.

A rippling darkness wrapped itself around Volemort, seemingly bolstering him. Voldemort swung his staff again, launching streams of lava towards Harry. He ran, evading the attack, before responding with a blast of ice. Voldemort ducked under Harry's attack and fired off the Killing Curse, only to have it be blocked by a wall of stone. The wall shattered, the fragments shooting forwards to pummel Voldemort.

"I tire of these games Potter!" shouted Voldemort, "My master will consume you!"

"You, calling another master?" replied Harry, "that doesn't sound like you at all!"

Voldemort went to attack again, but then paused.

"What are you talking about?" said Voldemort.

The darkness around him rippled.

"What? No, I can do this!" said Voldemort, "He will be delivered to you!"

The darkness rippled again, closing in on Voldemort menacingly.

"No, please," said Voldemort, "let me…"

Voldemort seemed to slump like a puppet with its strings cut, before lifting his head again. There was something else behind his eyes, something older than time.

"This body will suffice for a brief moment," said a dark voice, one that was most certainly not Voldemort's, "Well, once more I meet one of your kind, dragon. Your linage, your power has evaded my grasp for far too long".

"Ah, you must be the Dark Master," said Harry, "whatever you're selling, I'm not buying".

"Is that so?" said the Dark Master, "I could offer you many boons, Harry Potter. I could give you the strength to resurrect your parents, power enough to make any and all bow to you!"

"No deal," said Harry, "did you really think I'd fall for that? I'm not some gullible child. I know of you, I know what you do. I know that for the good of all worlds, you're going down!"

"Always the hard way with you Purple Dragons," said the Dark Master, "fine then, you will see what my power truly can do!"

The rippling darkness changed shaped expanding and twisting into the recognizable form of a dragon. It was a distorted parody of one, colored black, red, and purple, every inch of it dripping with malice. Harry steeled himself, and felt something caress his mind gently. He prepared to defend himself, but nothing malicious came. The Dark Master inhaled, firing a beam of dark purple energy. Harry recalled his lessons with Vaerath, and quickly swung his tail in an 'X' pattern. A shimmering barrier appeared before him, and reflected the beam of Dark Aether back at his foe. Harry took advantage of the momentary distraction, and launched his own Aether attack, tearing at his foe's being.

Harry felt the presence touch him mind again, this time stronger. It felt tantalizingly familiar, but from where? The Dark Master recovered, and took a swipe at him with its claws. Harry leapt skywards, avoiding the strike which left a crater in the ground. Harry fired another beam of Aether, driving the Dark Master back. As he ended the beam, the presence was there and revealed its true nature. Ghostly images appeared around him, 19 other forms, each of them a Purple Dragon.

"This has gone on long enough," said Spyro, "you have troubled our kind for far too long".

Each and every one of them, Harry included, blasted the Dark Master with Aether, weakening it further. However even as he watched, he could see it healing itself. Behind the Dark Master, another spirit appeared. This dragon had a multitude of horns, and even in its ghostly form baleful yellow eyes.

"Leave my kind alone, Dark Master," said the dragon, "once, and forever!"

It slashed at the Dark Master with its claws. and then grabbed it by the neck, lifting it up.

"I've wanted to do this for a _long_ time," said the dragon.

He reeled back, and punched the Dark Master right in the snout. The Dark Master's form rapidly began to dissipate, vanishing from the here and now. From within the dead body of Voldemort reappeared, falling to the ground.

"That felt good," said the dragon, "hopefully he'll stay away for a while".

Spyro stepped up, and looked at this dragon.

"You're the last one I expected to show up, Malefor," said Spyro.

"What, you think I _wanted_ to destroy the world?" said Malefor, "It seems the Dark Master has decided to become much more overt since my time. I had to help, for the sake of all of our kind".

"Well, good to see Harry's safe," said Elnos, "didn't expect the Dark Master to pull out _that_ form again. Good thing Vaerath taught you that spell. Anyway, we should be getting Harry back to here he belongs. Nice seeing you again, young one".

The spirits of the purple dragons past pooled their power, and the arena faded away, leaving Harry to glide to the safety of the ground. Voldemort's body fell to the dirt, and a wave of power shout out of what was left of his staff, and into Vaerath. Harry glanced around, and saw that the battle was mostly over, with his allies having won the day.

* * *

Of course, there was still one other issue...

"Dragon! Quick, stop it before it attacks me, I mean the students!" shouted Fudge.

Harry turned to see Cornelius Fudge pointing his wand at him shakily, and sighed.

"Minister, I believe attacking a student wouldn't go over well," said Harry.

"What? It talks!" said Fudge.

"Minister, recognize this scar?" said Harry.

Fudge looked closer, and saw the faded, but familiar outline of a lightning bolt shape on the dragon's brow.

"Potter!?" said Fudge.

"Correct, minister Fudge," said Harry, "And I believe you might recognize him as well?"

An Auror approached, and frowned at the body.

"It's Voldemort alright," said the Auror, "he's dead".

"What in Merlin's name is going on here?" shouted Fudge.

"We shall provide a full explanation, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, "but first we should retire to a more comfortable location".

Fudge nodded numbly, and the set off towards the castle.

-000-

Sometime later, Harry, Vaerath, and Dumbledore had completed explaining to Dumbledore what exactly had been going for the past few months. By the end, Fudge was gripping his cup of ice cold tea tightly, realizing he was dealing with not only magic beyond his comprehension, but also speaking with a member of one of the most important Most Ancient and Noble houses in all the world.

"So, what now," said Fudge finally.

"I would be amenable to attempting to reopen relations between this world and the Dragon Realms," said Vaerath, "However it will fall you and the leaders of other wizarding governments around the world of uphold your end of the bargain. The primary reason for the portals being closed in the first place was due to the rampant bigotry your people showed. I have seen that this hasn't changed much in the past millennia".

"What you ask is difficult," said Fudge, "and there will be much resistance to such a change perhaps of Mr, Potter were to be willing to…"

"No, Minister," said Harry, "I'm not going to be your personal dark lord slayer. I've had enough of that for a dragon's lifetime".

"I expected you'd say something like that," said Fudge, "and honestly I can't blame you. I also know that many people will be resistant to your continual education here".

"I wouldn't worry about that, Minister," said Harry, "at the end of this school year, I'm planning on leaving for the Dragon Realms. Less people wanting my autograph and/or my head there".

"But what of your assets here?" asked Fudge.

"All items of value are already stored in my Gringotts Vaults, and they have branches beyond this world," said Harry, "I also plan to invite some others to come with me to make a new home there".

"I don't suppose there's anything I can do to change your mind?" asked Fudge.

"No, Minister," said Harry, "I've made my decision".

"I see," said Fudge, "well at least stay long enough for your award ceremony. I'll see you get a Order of Merlin for your actions".

With that Fudge departed, and Harry glanced out the window. It would only be a few months now, and he'd be leaving Hogwarts forever.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we go! Voldemort defeated, the Dark Master banished (for now), and the world protected. Harry has made his choice, there's so much more out there for him the learn, that to remain in the Wizarding world would be wrong. besides, the Dragon Realms do have less people trying to kill him. Who he asks to come with him, and whether they accept is another story. In any case, see you next time for the likely finale to this story!


	40. Chapter 40: Departures

**A/N:** And here it is, the finale, the end of this story! Thank you all for coming along on this journey with me.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.

* * *

Chapter 40: Departures

The aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts made front page news on the Daily Prophet, as did the cleanup. Many surviving Death Eaters were captured and sentenced to either Azkaban or the Veil of Death. Lucius Malfoy was found on the battlefield, having been downed by a self-inflicted Stunner. He was questioned on his involvement and admitted to his past crimes, but it came out that he was instrumental in getting a warning out to Hogwarts, allowing for the faculty to prepare. He would still be punished for his past crimes, but his sentence was reduced.

The fickle quill of the press wasn't all positive though. Some spoke of Harry's great skill in taking down Voldemort, others decried him as going down a dark path, especially with the revelation of his draconic nature. Others still looked at him fearfully, coming to understand just how powerful he truly was. Harry was once again struck by the parallels he shared with those who bore this power in the past.

That said, the rest of the school year itself passed without major incident. The rest of the student body reacted to him similarly to the press, but many respected him for managing to defeat the dark lord. Those who had participated in the study group all looked at him in a positive light. Draco, while saddened to see his father imprisoned, was glad that his family was still alive.

Eventually, the end of term approached, and with it the OWL exams. Harry did his best on his exams, and once the day came, boarded the Hogwarts Express, bidding the castle goodbye. A few days later Harry, as well as Vaerath and several others who'd participated in the Battle of Hogwarts were brought before the Wizengamot. Each one of them came forwards, and received their award for their service to the wizarding world. Eventually, it was Harry's turn.

"Harry James Potter," said Cornelius Fudge, "for your bravery in defeating the Dark Wizard Voldemort and his followers, we are honored to award you the Order of Merlin, First Class".

"Thank you, Minister," said Harry, "but I couldn't have done it without the help of my friends, or the knowledge of my professors".

"Well said, Mr. Potter," said Cornelius Fudge, "you are also to be awarded the outstanding bounty on Voldemort for his crimes against our people".

* * *

It wasn't long after this that Harry prepared for his departure. He packed away his belongings, and he returned to Hogwarts one last time to leave for the Dragon Realms. There, he was met by both those coming with him, which included not only familiar faces but also peoples from all across the world, as well as those seeing them off. Among those coming with him were Sirius, Remus, and Nymphadora Tonks.

As well, Nymphadora's parents Andromeda and Ted Tonks had decided to join them as well, technically to act as ambassadors to the Dragon Realms, but also to support their daughter's decision. Also coming along were a few packs of werewolves who wished to start a new life away from the Ministy's bigotry, not trusting them to keep their word on improving.

Among those gathered to depart with them was the familiar face of Luna Lovegood, and a man who could only be her father.

"Luna, are you coming too?" asked Harry.

"Of course Harry," said Luna, "It will be nice to visit to land our forebears. After all, my people and the peoples of the Realms have been allies for many millennia".

Vaerath smirked, realizing what she meant.

"It all makes sense now," said Vaerath, "you're of Fae blood".

"Guilty as charged," said Luna, "Daddy and I are excited to see our ancestral homeland once more. I must thank you again, Harry. Even without knowing your true nature, you upheld the contract of mutual aid between our peoples".

Harry looked over at those who had simply come to see them off, seeing familiar faces there as well.

"Are you sure you want to stay here?" asked Harry.

"I'm sure," said Hermione, "I wish to complete my last two years here and Hogwarts. After that, well, we'll see".

"Well, if ever want to visit, you're always welcome," said Harry, "the same goes for you, Ron".

"I know mate," said Ron, "It won't be the same without you here".

"I can't say I won't miss this place," said Harry, "but there's so much more out there to see".

Harry hugged his friends, and then turned to the next in line.

"So… you're really going?" asked Neville, "thanks for saving all of us… sorry I couldn't do more".

"Neville, you were a great help," said Harry, "and you're stronger than you know. I remember one lesson taught to me that you should keep in mind: It only takes the smallest amount of courage to effect great change".

Neville smiled, and gave him a pat on the shoulder. Harry moved on, speaking to those he wished to say goodbye to personally. Soon enough it was time for them to leave, and the portal flared to life. Just as they were about to head through, Dumbledore approached.

"Harry, before you go I've one last gift for you," said Dumbledore.

He handed over a small parcel. Harry examined it revealing it to be a handwritten book and a simple looking iron key.

"Headmaster, is this what I think it is?" asked Harry.

"It is," said Dumbledore, "I think you are the best one to accept this legacy".

"Are you sure?" said Harry.

"Harry, I am an old man," said Dumbledore, "I have no children, no heirs to pass this on to. I know you to be a responsible young man, and young dragon at that. With this, if the worst comes to pass, _you_ will have control over the gates. Use it well, Harry, use it well".

"Thank you for this gift, Headmaster," said Harry, "and thank you for teaching me".

"It was my pleasure," said Dumbledore, "now then, I don't wish to keep you any longer than necessary. Goodbye, Harry".

Harry and the others stepped into the portal, leaving Earth behind. As he flew through the portal, images of other places and times flew past. A young man with blue hair stood against a massive serpent monster. Power flared around this young man, transforming him into a gold dragon. A group of five people stood on the edge of a starry void. The one in the middle, a man in plate mail, held up a crystal. Light shined out, revealing the form of an undefinable creature. He saw a large number of dragons in a variety of scale colors, bringing their claws and elemental powers to bear against a dinosaur-like creature the size of a small mountain.

* * *

Harry and the others who'd come with him emerged from the far side of the portal. As he touched down, he reflexively shifted to dragon form. They found the Guardians waiting for them.

"Welcome back, young dragon," said Infernus, "and to our new arrivals, welcome to the Dragon Realms. We have spare rooms available at the temple nearby while we work out where within our world you might wish to live".

They made their way up the path to the temple, and proceeded with business. Harry was pulled aside by Infernus as well.

"This will go for you as well, Harry," said Infernus, "As nice as the temple is, you'll need to start thinking where in the realms you might wish to make your permanent home".

"I already have a place picked out," said Harry, "remember that place we rested while on our way to the Kaskia Isles?"

Infernus thought for a moment, and then smiled.

"Ah yes, that place," said Infernus, "and I bet that there will be those among those who came with you that wish to reside close to you".

"I know of at least a few," said Harry.

"Very well," said Infernus, "we'll have to get a construction team out that way. We'll need builders, some Earth Dragons for landscaping, a Magic Crafter or two for portal creation…"

"We'll get it done," said Olivine.

The next few weeks were a flurry of activity. The werewolves were able to find a home in a realm known as Wild Forest. The particular magic of this realm acted on them beneficially, allowing them full control over their transformations, even if they left to visit other areas. Some of those that came along heard of the various realms where they could find practitioners of magic and traveled to those places, studying and learning among them.

Harry had been busy, as well. He'd officially moved into his new home (or lair he supposed). Meeting with members of the Five Clans had been interesting to say the least. The Artisans arrived alongside the Moles brought in for planning and construction of the new town in the valley below Harry's lair. Harry found himself invited to a meeting with them, and ended up sharing stories with members of all Five Clans.

* * *

The Artisans loved hearing about the places he'd seen, and he wouldn't be surprised if he found imitations of these places existing within the Artisan's realms in the near future.

The Peacekeepers were impressed hearing about the battles he'd fought, and with his skill in also knowing when not of fight.

The Magic Crafters wished to hear all about Hogwarts and the styles of magic native to his World of Origin. They took meticulous notes, and expressed interest in him training among them some time in the future.

The Beast Makers… well they were an interesting lot. While they liked hearing about the magical creatures of his world, they were even more interested in Luna's tales. Harry wondered if they might make some of her ideas into reality.

As for the Dream Weavers…

"It is good to finally meet you young one," said the Dream Weaver Elder, "or at least good to meet you in the physical realm.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"As I am sure you know, it is our role to watch over the dreams of young dragons," said the Dream Weaver Elder, "when you first arrived here, we could feel your presence, sense that which troubled your mind. It pleases me to see that that issue has been dealt with".

"I couldn't have done it without the help of Vaerath and Professor Snape," said Harry, "apparently Vaerath used knowledge of your clan to help me confront this threat".

"Truly? Can you tell me more?" asked the Dream Weaver Elder.

Harry went on to explain his experiences within his own mindscape, encountering his negative side, and confronting the Horcrux.

"Interesting," said the Dream Weaver Elder, "you fought a fierce battle within your own mind, and came out the far side stronger. It would do you well to visit our lands, and learn more of our magics".

Later on, after the town was complete and the portal to the nearest nexus was established, Harry had the time to visit other parts of the Dragon Realms. Each and every one of them had something new for him to see. He even found his way to the ancient city of Warfang eventually, walking the same streets that Spyro had so many millennia ago. It had changed to an extent since ancient times, the shops with neon signs and/or holographic/illusory displays advertising their wares evidenced that, yet still held that sense of history. Of course, he wasn't alone on these journeys: he found himself accompanied by Sirus and Remus at different times, enjoying the sights and sounds of the Dragon Realms just as much as he was.

Over the next few years, the town near Harry's lair grew into a thriving community, playing host to visitors from across the realms. He was free, free to travel wherever his wings could take him, free to see distant lands and learn from them.

In the end, no matter where his wings took him, Harry would always find his way home. The Dragon Realms were his home now, and he wouldn't trade it for anything.

* * *

 **Bonus Scene: 1998**

About two years after Harry moved into his new home in the Realms, Hermione came for one of her regular visits. She had brought along something new this time: a light grey, plastic device. It was mostly rectangular, but with a circular section in the middle. Harry recognized it as a gaming system, like those Dudley would regular break.

"Harry, You have to see this!" said Hermione, "look at what I found!"

She pulled a flat, clear plastic CD jewel case from her pocket. Inside, the manual showed displayed a three word title, and a scaly purple form.

"I see," said Harry, "I expected something like this to happen".

"What are you talking about?" asked Hermione.

"The Magic Crafters calling conceptual transference," said Harry, "it's a process where concepts and ideas slip through the barriers between worlds, even when physical matter cannot".

:So you're saying this idea simply filtered through?" said Hermione.

"Precisely!" said Harry, "from what I'm seeing here, this appears to be a somewhat fictionalized version of first part of the journeys of Elnos, the 10th Purple Dragon. The difference in name could be due to Spyro's name resonating more clearly across the ages. Want to plug that thing in?"

"Um, sure," said Hermione.

Harry led her into town, and plugged the game system into an available TV and power source. the system powered up, and Hermione began her game.

* * *

 **A/N:** Yeah, that extra scene came to me, and I though it would be a fun addition. Anyway, once again, thank you all for coming along on this ride with me. I hope you all have a good day!


End file.
